Melville Bowling Club resubmits plans for million-dollar development as members say it remains ‘underfunded’

Melville Bowling Club representatives are gearing up to resubmit plans for a large-scale redevelopment of the prime riverfront site, as they say the club remains underfunded and underutilised. Members behind the Tompkins Park club seemingly backtracked on plans three weeks ago when a multimillion-dollar proposal before the City of Melville council was withdrawn just prior to being considered. That proposal had been valued at between $15-$20 million, with the club’s initial plan to ask the council to fully fund the $1.1m first stage, comprising professional services and the construction of netball courts. But after council staff offered just $90,000 to complete a draft business case, with no guarantee of backing the works, the plans were quietly withdrawn. In the proposal seen by PerthNow, the bowls club has promised to create a facility that would be a “high quality, high visibility, prestigious community gathering place for both formal and informal events that befits the valuable land on which (the club) is located”. The long-term hopes also include an all-weather canopy over two bowling greens, a standalone kitchen, a new clubhouse and four beach volleyball courts, all to be installed by late 2026. Bowls club committee member David Maynier told PerthNow that a ratepayer-backed investment was critical to ensure the club’s longevity and a fresh overhaul of its ageing facility. “The plan for this is to turn it into a well-used, multi-functional facility that is used by a wide cross-section of the community,” he said. “We’ve got this beautiful site and it should have a beautiful facility on it.” The proposal back-and-forth is the latest in a long-running drama involving the bowls club that dates back to 2016, when a proposal to build a wave park at the Alfred Cove site threatened the club’s continued existence. Its future hung in the balance over three years until the wave park proposal was abandoned in 2019, along with a council-driven plan for the bowls club to merge with its nearest rivals, Mt Pleasant Bowling Club. The Melville bowlers then convinced the council their club warranted a 50-year lease extension for the riverfront site and building, although even that contentious decision drew strong arguments from some councillors that the contract should be limited to a more-usual arrangement of 10 or 20 years. Despite the long-term security, club representatives remain frustrated with the lack of progress they have been crying out for, including the removal of asbestos and the construction of an accessible toilet for people with disabilities. The preliminary plans submitted to the council included four netball courts, which Mr Maynier said could suit a number of local netball clubs. “Netball is one of the most widely played sports in Australia; because it’s been historically a female-dominated sport, it’s been pushed into the background,” he said. “Almost every netball club in the City of Melville (has) this crying need for a place they can call home.” There are seven netball clubs within the City of Melville, according to a council directory. While the teams typically play at Fremantle Netball Centre courts on a Saturday morning and practise at local primary schools, Mr Maynier said there was nowhere within the locality fit for regular practice. “The (schools) lock up at four o’clock,” he said. “We have offered them the courts and they were absolutely thrilled.”