Noosa bowlos unite for survival
AFTER years of looking like a threatened species, Noosa bowls finally appears to have found at least where the right rub of the green begins, as local clubs look to unite.
The plan is to form a regional recreational force in the years ahead.
Taking their inspiration from other successful merged Coast clubs, Noosa Heads and Tewantin Noosa are spearheading the move to secure their future as a Sunshine Coast northern regional centre for bowls.
It may seem at odds with Noosa's de-amalgamation push, but clubs like Peregian and Yandina forced to fold are also interested in seeing if unity may provide the strength they need, to offer their members a viable bowls outlet in this northern region.
Cooroy Bowls Club, saved only after it was taken over by the Cooroy RSL, is another club interested in last week's workshop to plan the way forward for a traditional game keen to find a modern niche.
According to Noosa Heads Bowls Club president Richard Wales, the get together between the local bowls reps with Sunshine Coast council, Bowls Queensland and government sports officers was a step in the right direction.
Noosa Heads sold its commercially lucrative site in Noosa Junction to Coles for almost $4million last November and must find a new home in the next three years, while Tewantin Noosa is looking to also guarantee its long term presence.
"We believe that, between the two clubs, we have the financial resources to establish a regional centre," Mr Wales said.
The most difficult part of the venture, which Mr Wales said had the support of Councillor Russell Green, would be finding a suitable site to set up, which does not have environmental constraints.
He believed a site in Noosaville was one possibility, while the expansion of Tewantin Noosa was the only other likely option at this stage.
Cr Green on Friday commended the local bowls clubs for their proactive approach and said everyone realises that there will have to be a rationalisation of clubs.
"There is a genuine commitment from council and my own personal commitment to achieve a long term outcome for the delivery of bowls on the nothern Sunshine Coast," he said.
"The clubs have to be congratulated for bringing this together. It will achieve an outcome, I promised them that."
At Noosa Heads greens, it was already almost impossible to wipe the grins off the faces of a rejuvenated club basking in a peppercorn annual rent from Coles and generous tenancy arrangements that include its rates and electricity paid for by the supermarket chain.
To stay at the site, while it prepares for eventual relocation, Noosa pays $3 a year.
The cost savings have allowed bowls memberships to drop from $100 a year to $70, while Mr Wales said the cheaper $5 green fees to play were about the best around.
He said the club was socially buzzing again like in the old days.
