15 March 2017

Gungahlin Lawn Bowls project seeks $800k from ACT government

| Canfan
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gungahlin lakes golf and community club

Today the Ainslie Group has delivered an update on the proposed establishment of bowling greens at the Gungahlin Lakes Golf and Community Club. The Ainslie Group currently comprises the Ainslie Football and Social Club and the Gungahlin Lakes Golf and Community Club. The Group sold the Canberra City Bowling Club in Braddon in 2015.

The Group made a commitment to members to establish replacement greens in Gungahlin with the support of the ACT Government and Bowls ACT. If the project proceeds at the Gungahlin Lakes site it will potentially release land currently identified for a bowling club in the Casey Group Centre precinct.

The Ainslie Group Chief Executive Simon Patterson said, “The project has now proceeded through DA approval and a tender process for the various civil works and associated packages has been completed.”

The Group proposed it would be prepared to allocate up to $2m towards the project and is now seeking to finalise an ACT Government financial contribution to get the project over the line.

The current bids (including offices for Bowls ACT), are closer to $2.8m, leaving a balance of approximately $800,000 required to start the project.

“The Group is looking forward to finalising discussions with the ACT Government with a view to proceeding with the project in 2017,” Mr Patterson said.

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wildturkeycanoe said :

It seems the only sporting clubs getting government support are the ones that have a social club with pokies, in order to reap back some if the dollars “donated” to them.
There are an awful lot of sports ovals owned by the government that desperately need maintenance to prevent players twisting their knees or ankles in the deep, mud-filled puddles that happen due to poor drainage. But there is little revenue generated from these sports, so they take a back seat when it comes to dividing the cash designated for sports.
If you need proof, just go to any public soccer ground during winter and watch the players slide into the bog and get up covered in mud or soaking wet. Do the privately owned grounds have this problem? Nope.

Firstly don’t agree with money for Ainslie for the bowls club seeing the money they have/will make from the land sale.

However your comment above is just false. Seem and reality are two different things. The ACT government injects lots of funds into grass roots sporting clubs. Just a pity that the registered clubs are also not putting more in, rather than try and fund political campaigns, like the failed Richard Farmer campaign.

wildturkeycanoe11:00 pm 18 Mar 17

whycomplain said :

These people don’t cry when someone or the ACT Government helps their club or organisation with heaps of cash or cheap assets. There are numerous clubs that without support may not have survived.

It seems the only sporting clubs getting government support are the ones that have a social club with pokies, in order to reap back some if the dollars “donated” to them.
There are an awful lot of sports ovals owned by the government that desperately need maintenance to prevent players twisting their knees or ankles in the deep, mud-filled puddles that happen due to poor drainage. But there is little revenue generated from these sports, so they take a back seat when it comes to dividing the cash designated for sports.
If you need proof, just go to any public soccer ground during winter and watch the players slide into the bog and get up covered in mud or soaking wet. Do the privately owned grounds have this problem? Nope.

These people don’t cry when someone or the ACT Government helps their club or organisation with heaps of cash or cheap assets. There are numerous clubs that without support may not have survived. We must remember clubs in Canberra put millions of dollars into community groups and charities and also
pay Hugh tax bills. So don’t rant n rave about the taxes you pay are propping up the Ainslie Group only. Let us remember the Hugh amount of money Ainslie spent on the mouse and rabbit infested Ainslie oval to what it is now and the best looking golf course in Canberra. There was millions of dollars spent on the golf course up the road, Belconnen AFL ground an the list goes on and on so wake up Canberra and go forward.

So a club that made around $9 million net profit from pokies can’t find $800K to finish the bowls project but instead goes cap in hand to Government? Utterly ridiculous.

So the Ainslie Group are now after a handout from the current Government they tired to bury in the recent election? Good luck there

Growling Ferret10:29 pm 15 Mar 17

So Ainslie Group sell a dedicated inner city community bowls site on prime land for significant unders. They then without any genuine consultation decide to trash the golf course against the will of the golf members. Half way through the planning they work out the proposed land is a floodway and really expensive to get to the standard they require and request the ACT Government (ratepayers) to bail them out?

Tell em they are dreaming

wildturkeycanoe9:16 pm 15 Mar 17

Okay…why are we helping to fund a private club’s proposal with ratepayers money? There are so many levies and increases to our rates, but we all have to cough up for something we can’t use unless we pay membership fees for? Perhaps I should ask for funding to build an in-ground swimming pool in my own yard, if there is plenty of cash to splurge on private projects.
I say they should be denied any help and should use their own money to develop their private greens. If the facilities were free for the public to use, then it’d be a reasonable request.

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