Some Further Information

The Bronte Bowling Club has a proposal before Waverley Council for the rezoning and development of the open space on its eastern end, currently used for car parking, into a townhouse complex.

Bronte Bowling Club is at the western end of public Varna Park, surrounded by residential housing.

Developments of this nature create many long-term problems including:

  • Vehicular congestion in an already narrow street
  • Loss of limited and diminishing open, green space
  • Further threat to already disappearing community infrastructure and recreational space
  • A further pushing up of housing prices which now effectively shuts out the ordinary person from living in Bronte
  • Stress on utilities and infrastructure (such as electricity, sewerage and stormwater)
  • The loss of what makes Bronte special for those of us who love it
  • Developers' interests raised over residents' rights
  • Undesirable precedents set
Bowling is presently seeing a resurgence of interest which has:
  • Seen bowling become a high profile sport which has attracted television coverage
  • Young people playing this sport in rapidly increasing numbers (Waverley College has bowling as part of its sports program)
  • Seen Clovelly and Waverley Bowling Clubs turn around to be now enjoying strong support and an expanding number of players.
Both Clovelly and Waverley Bowling Clubs have successfully reinvigorated themselves, without selling their greens, through innovative, cooperative and joint action with the community. The Bronte Bowling Club is seeking to redress its financial problems through a quick fix method which is not addressing the root cause of the problem. Experience tells us that this is the "thin end of the wedge", and that nobody is creating any new open space for us.

See the Council report recommending the rezoning here, including the quote "The issue of the loss of open space has been a concern among residents for both rezoning schemes". Note that the only choice Council has put to residents has been rezoning and development of one end of the Bowling Club land or the other; there is no proposal from Council that does not involve a townhouse development of the club's open space.
It's also notable that only surrounding residents have been kept in the loop by Council. Although it is the Bronte Bowling Club most residents, visitors and friends of Bronte would be entirely unaware of Council's impending decision for this irreplaceable site.

Please ring or fax your councillors now, before it becomes too late to have your say.

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