Inside the community push to reopen The Bowlo

MEMBERS of the Bangalow community are banding together to pool their skills and resources in a bid to save The Bowlo.

A community meeting was held last Sunday at Moller Pavilion in Bangalow Showground to begin planning a strategy to take over the club from Norths Collective. It comes after the Sydney-based conglomerate closed The Bowlo’s doors with little warning on October 24, citing the poor condition of the clubhouse, ongoing financial losses and an unsustainable trading outlook.

“It was a really successful meeting with around 100 people in the room very passionate about saving The Bowlo,” Byron Shire councillor and Bangalow resident Asren Pugh said.

“Lots of people have put their names forward to be involved in ensuring that The Bowlo reopens and comes back into community hands.

“We heard the anger and disappointment being expressed at Norths by the community and a determination to get it back.”

During the meeting, attendees divided into groups based on their skills and experience to map out a path forward. Volunteers also stepped up to form a new advisory committee.

“There were people to work on a business case, people to work on what renovations might be required, fundraising, sports clubs, media,” Cr Pugh said.

“We have a lot of people in this community who are skilled at hospitality, so we think we can come up with a viable business plan that will work and be sustainable over time.”

Several members of the original Keep the Bowlo Local group — who tried to prevent the amalgamation with Norths in 2022 — were also present.

“Everyone has been very clear that they want to put the past in the past as far as the original decision around the amalgamation and take a unified and positive look to the future,” Cr Pugh said.

“People don’t want to identify or speak on behalf of the old Keep the Bowlo Local group. We are where we are and we need to work together. The ideas are still there and the business case that the group had is still there and certainly will be looked at.”

Among the new ideas being discussed is positioning The Bowlo as a resilience hub for the Northern Rivers region — an area hit hard by the 2022 floods and Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred earlier this year — to make it eligible for government grants.

“There’s discussion around it being a heat haven for people who don’t have air conditioning at home during heatwaves,” Cr Pugh said.

The group is also exploring examples from other communities, such as Old Bar Bowling Club on the Mid North Coast, which was designated a safe haven and emergency evacuation centre after the 2019 bushfires. The club went on to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for upgrades, including a new roof, back-up generator, accessible bathrooms, shaded areas for pets and a playground.

During the 2022 floods, Bangalow served as a hub for food distribution to nearby communities in greater need — something locals believe The Bowlo could help facilitate in future crises.

“There’s a kitchen at The Bowlo so it’s set up perfectly as an evacuation centre,” Cr Pugh said.

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