Waterfront group calls for community to revive Sporties

The Save Woy Woy Waterfront group has called on community to rally behind the Woy Woy Sporties club to revive its fortunes.

However, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Mr Matthew Wales has declared the demise of the club inevitable.

Waterfront group founder Mr Ross Cochrane said that, with the refusal of proposed development, "you now have clear air to save the bowling club without the threat of the development hanging over your head.

"The threat of the development has meant people have stopped booking 21st parties and weddings because they think the club will close.

"Now the development has been refused, club members need to get the message out that it is open for business and work to make it viable."

Residents who spoke at the Joint Regional Planning Panel meeting, held at Gosford's Council Chamber, to consider the proposal to redevelop the club, said they hoped the club could be kept.

"I sincerely hope the bowling and fishing clubs can continue to provide their excellent recreational activities for the community," said Woy Woy resident Ms Ruth Herman.

Speaking on behalf of Save Woy Woy Waterfront at the Panel meeting, Mr Ross McMurtrie said the group had "strong concerns about the loss of public and recreational space, the loss of three outdoor bowling greens, a public fishing club."

He said the redevelopment of the club would also result in a major loss for the competitive bowlers of the club.

"The loss of a competitive bowling club to be replaced with an amateurish indoor bowling club would result in isolation" for the bowling club members, many of whom were elderly, he said.

However, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Mr Matthew Wales said the Chamber was "deeply concerned that the refusal by the Panel will mean that the club will close.

"Sadly it would appear inevitable that club is not sustainable in its current form and the Chamber saw this development as a way of underpinning the future of Sporties and regrettably that is now not going to happen.

"We now are looking to encourage the owner to look at alternative uses for the site in the hope that some sort of community facility can be maintained.

"However, we recognise that this is now going to be difficult and that despite what local residents wanted to see, they may now see the end of their community facility.

"It is now clear that the future of the Sporties club is in serious doubt as the applicant will now have to re evaluate the viability of the business and that is obviously going to put those jobs on jeopardy and will ultimately mean that Sporties as we know it today will not exist in the future.

"So unfortunately whilst the community wanted to save Sporties, this decision will not deliver for the community what they expected."

SOURCE:

Meeting, 23 Aug 2018

Central Coast Joint Regional Planning Panel

Interview, 23 Aug 2018

Matthew Wales, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Reporter: Jackie Pearson