Community meeting to discuss new proposal for The Bowlo

BANGALOW locals are being invited to attend a community meeting this Sunday to discuss a proposal to return The Bowlo to local ownership.

The meeting follows a presentation made by members of a newly formed advisory body to a recent Norths Collective board meeting in Sydney.

The meeting will be held at Moller Pavilion at the Bangalow Showground at 4pm on Sunday.

Members of the Bangalow Advisory Committee include Sean Fogarty from the Bangalow Cricket Club, consultant Jason Dwyer from Dwyer Property Investments, former Earth ‘n’ Sea Amazing Pizza and Pasta Byron Bay co-owner Denise Woolsey, and fellow locals Rebecka Harwood and Joey Torazzi.

Norths Collective is also looking to offload Seagulls at Tweed Heads.

If its proposed $30 million deal to amalgamate the club with nearby Twin Towns is successful, it could help save the Bangalow club.

Opened in 1910, The Bowlo has long been a cornerstone of community life, supporting local sports teams with sponsorship and providing a central venue for family-friendly social gatherings, entertainment, community events and fundraisers.

Its closure was announced via Instagram in October, with Norths stating that a recent review had assessed the clubhouse’s condition, ongoing financial losses and trading outlook, and concluded there was “no other possible outcome”.

The venue had been struggling financially following the COVID-19 lockdowns and the devastating 2022 Northern Rivers floods.

Seeking stability, the Bowlo’s board recommended a merger with Norths, which also operates popular venues including The Greens North Sydney and The Verandah Beecroft.

At the time, Norths pledged to invest at least $3.5 million over 10 years, with plans for new pergolas, an events space and improved parking.

But the merger faced opposition from local group Keep the Bowlo Local, which feared the takeover could lead to an increase in poker machines or a future sell-off to developers.

Despite the campaign, members ultimately voted 289 to 182 in favour of the amalgamation.

In response to community outrage following the closure, Norths gave the community until Friday, December 5 to demonstrate a viable plan to resume operations before opening the venue to expressions of interest from other clubs.

A community GoFundMe page established to reopen The Bowlo has raised more than $120,000, demonstrating strong local support. As a result, Norths extended the community’s exclusive negotiation period through to July 14, 2026.

For the latest updates, follow Save Bangalow Bowlo on Facebook.