Concerned locals are planning to regain community ownership and use of the Stafford Bowls Club after its lease was transferred, allegedly without proper consultation, to the Brisbane Racing Club.
On Facebook, about 70 locals formed the “Stafford Community Hub not Race Club” to work on cancelling the lease granted to the commercial racing club. The group also created an online petition for the same purpose.
Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) apparently plans to refurbish Stafford Bowls Club with a new dining area, a cafe, a sports bar, and a gaming room with 80 pokies. The design and details have yet to be released.
But Anna, one of the more active members of the group, said that the Stafford and Kedron communities do not want the bowls club to become a commercial entity, citing that the locals would greatly benefit from a hub similar to Grange or the revitalised Moorooka Bowls Club.
The Stafford Bowls Club has been closed since 2016 and residents have waited for the site’s redevelopment into a family-friendly hub. Crushers Leagues Club lodged a development application for this redevelopment and even secured a 20-year lease extension in 2019.
However, Crushers Leagues Club could not proceed with the lease due to its licensing issues. Thus, Council apparently decided to turn over the lease to BRC “without debate, and without community support or input,” the petition stated.
“The community was not privy to the decision, nor consulted on what they would like or need for their community.”
As part of their campaign, the Stafford Community Hub not Race Club will gather at Gibson Park on Sunday, the 18th of December 2022 at 10:30 a.m., to discuss their visions for the community. A fundraiser has also been opened to help with the campaign.
