Queenscliff club proposes pétanque pitch

THE Queenscliff Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club (QBTC) is proposing to install a pétanque terrain at its facility at 118 Hesse Street.

The club lodged the application for the pétanque pitch, which will be used by the Bellarine Peninsula Petanque Club (BPPC).

According to planning documents lodged by BPPC with the Borough of Queenscliffe, the pétanque terrain would consisting of 11 pistes.

The proposed site of the pétanque terrain is within the existing QBTC boundaries and is presently an open grassed area between the netball courts and the King Street boundary.

This area measures 45m by 12.5m and would provide room for 11 pistes running north/south, with each piste measuring 12.5 metres x 4 metres.

The area would need to have the grass removed and 45 cubic metres of crushed rock spread to a depth of 75mm and compacted before spreading a final playing surface, which would comprise 7mm bluestone screenings, and constructing a low timber border to prevent pétanque boules and the screenings spilling out onto the adjacent car park and netball courts.

The proposed area has some existing timber and garden bed borders on the west and north edges that will remain and reduce the cost of providing borders.

“The proposed use will add to the recreational amenity of the locality by providing additional recreational activities, because pétanque is a game that is suitable for all ages and abilities and the proposal will provide an enhancement of opportunities for recreational activities at the QBTC,” BPPC states.

BPPC will, with QBTC’s permission, use the existing storage rooms at the southern end of the netball courts as a storage and an occasional meeting facility.

BPPC initially intends to organise practice and come and try sessions twice a week, and a competition for BPPC members once a month.

The public exhibition period for the planning application closed on May 24.