What heritage listing could mean for the future of the Bangalow Bowlo

THE Bowlo in Bangalow has moved a step closer to being saved from developers after Byron Shire Council unanimously voted to support an independent heritage assessment of the club.

Council is now preparing a planning proposal to amend the Local Environmental Plan to include Bangalow Bowling Club, which opened in 1910, as a heritage item.

If the NSW Department of Planning approves the proposal to proceed, the listing will be placed on public exhibition, allowing community members and stakeholders to make submissions.

Following the exhibition period, councillors will consider the feedback before making a final decision. If adopted, the heritage listing will be gazetted and become legally enforceable.

Heritage listing does not prevent the Bowlo from operating or being upgraded, but it does significantly restrict development, demolition or major alterations, helping to protect the site’s character and function as a sports and leisure facility into the future.

Sally Schofield, from the Save Bangalow Bowlo steering committee, said the unanimous vote was encouraging.

“It’s put it in a position where it’s been flagged as being significant so it would have to have extra attention placed on it before any work was approved,” she said. “It helps in terms of the fact that it’s prime real estate in Bangalow and there’s always developers circling looking for their next opportunity.”

When a property is heritage listed, the owner – in this case Norths Collective – has a legal responsibility to conserve and maintain its heritage values. This includes keeping the building structurally sound and weatherproof, repairing significant deterioration, and preventing vandalism or water damage.

 

The Sydney based conglomerate, which merged with the club in 2022, closed the venue with little warning in October, citing the poor condition of the clubhouse, ongoing financial losses and an unsustainable trading outlook.

More than 200 people recently responded to a stakeholder survey created by the steering committee to share their views on options relating to the future of The Bowlo.

Over 70 per cent of respondents supported The Bowlo being returned to community ownership, with a direct buy back from Norths the number one preference.

The second ranked option, with nearly 56 per cent support, was to continue direct negotiations with Norths on the “pathway to community ownership”.

Opening expressions of interest for amalgamation ranked third at nearly 40 per cent, while restarting a public, media or legal campaign attracted lower support at nearly 35 per cent.

Detailed survey findings have been presented to the Bangalow Advisory Committee, comprising club members Jason Dwyer, Sean Fogarty, Beck Harwood, Jo Tracey and Denise Woolsey, who were appointed in October to represent all members in ongoing negotiations with Norths.

Schofield said the closure of the Bowlo last October had left a huge hole in the community, but it was important to follow due process.

“The steering committee is very committed to making sure that thorough evaluations of what’s on the table are undertaken so we don’t get into the same situation again,” she said.