Lights up for Winchelsea Bowls Club

NEW sports lighting will enable the Winchelsea Bowls Club to compete in night competitions and extend their coaching, social bowls and function offerings to its local community.

The Surf Coast Shire Council backed project will deliver corner lighting system with LED luminaires to the regional bowls facility.

The lights will be designed to minimise glare to bowlers and minimise light spill to surrounding areas.

Works were proposed to the Surf Coast Shire Council in November 2022 via a community project proposed portal.

In April 2023, detailed investigation of the project began involving a working group comprising Bowls Club board members and a Bowls Australia representative.

Following consultation with sports lighting experts, Webb Australia, the project moved to the tender ready stage in October this year, with a detailed cost estimate of $151,157.

The Winchelsea Bowls Club has already committed 25 per cent of the funds, meeting the required funding ratio.

The club will host drop-in sessions this evening (December 15) for locals to learn more about the project’s scope and funding opportunities.

Winchelsea Bowls Club coach Rhy Jeffs said the club was excited by the prospects of new lighting in 2024.

“It’s an opportunity for us to continue our growth plan,” he said.

“Recent data suggests 10,000 more people are moving to town in the next few years, so we are really wanting to capitalize on it.

“We have started to offer more junior programs and are working hard to introduce bowls to the wider community.

“This [the sports lights] is a huge step in the right direction.”

Surf Coast Shire Council acting general manager community life, Travis Nelson said the lighting project had quickly gained momentum.

“We’re pleased to team up with Winchelsea Bowls Club to progress the sports lighting project to a tender-ready stage. It has enabled us to submit a funding application to Sport and Recreation Victoria’s 2023-24 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund, on the club’s behalf,” he said.

“This project has progressed through our Community Project Development Program which empowers locals to develop and deliver their projects, to ultimately benefit the community.

“A lighting system would enable the club to compete in a regional night competition and also expand their social bowls program, fostering a healthy and connected community.”

An application to the Victorian Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund has been submitted and is being reviewed.

The outcome should be known by May 2024.