RSL bowls home

By Cherie Donnellan
TORQUAY RSL would have a new home as part of a proposed redevelopment of the town’s bowls club, according to the club’s chairman.
Des Bruhn said bowls club members voted on Monday night to grant the RSL a sub-lease for its own building within the proposed complex at Taylor Park.
Mr Bruhn said a “slender majority” voted in favour of incorporating the RSL into the redevelopment.
But the bowlers and RSL still had to complete a lot of planning to ensure both groups agreed on the design, he said.
“If an agreement can’t be formalised between the bowls club and the RSL we have a back-up motion in which we will seek extra State Government funding for a general community hall that the RSL could use.”
The bowls club received $1.5 million in State Government funding late last year to complete the works.
“Our first priority for the grant money is to address the issues of our tired, old building,” Mr Bruhn said.
“There are issues with sewerage and occupational health and safety and asbestos walls that will need to be replaced.
“It’ll involve a lot of planning and hard work over the next six months to address that and work with the RSL.”
Mr Bruhn said Great Ocean Road Coast Committee would “steer” the planning process as the manager of the club’s Crown land site.
Torquay RSL president Kevin Egan said members were “pleased” about finally having new facilities.
“We look forward to working with the bowls club on the design and layout.”
Mr Egan said the RSL and Surf Coast Veterans Centre already had a design “in mind”.
“We’re going to try and seek approval from the bowls club.”
Both clubs expected the planning and building process to take 12 months.
Debt forced the RSL to close its previous centre in 2008 after the branch’s bistro hit financial problems. Members have since been meeting at the bowls club.