State Bowls Centre Study Announced
Bowls Victoria is excited to announce the appointment of a consultant to conduct a feasibility study for the planned State Bowls Centre.
Renowned sports consulting firm, Otium Planning Group, have been awarded the contract after a competitive tender process. The study, which is majority funded by the Victorian State Government, will investigate the future need for bowls in Victoria.
It’s an exciting step and long-overdue for Bowls Victoria. Since the sale of Bowlers House in 2015, Bowls Victoria has been renting a premises in Hawthorn East. While the leased property is strictly an administration building, the feasibility study will investigate opportunities for a far more beneficial facility to take us into the future.
The study has come about as a result of the State Facilities Audit completed in 2020 by Sport Business Partners, also funded by the Victorian State Government. This recent study concluded that bowls is without a State-level facility, particularly with the demise of Darebin, the home of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
“The new State Bowls Centre isn’t centred around a one-off flagship project or event, but rather a sustainable facility encompassing Administration, High Performance (talent identification and talent development), Coaching, Officiating and Education capabilities,” said Bowls Victoria CEO, Tony Sherwill.
Following the State Facilities Audit, clubs currently under consideration are spread across the metropolitan region. There are more than 10 sites that will be the subject of the feasibility study, with a key focus on access to major freeways/highways.
“It’s an exciting prospect for bowls in Victoria, and we thank the Government for their support” Sherwill said.
The study is due to be completed by the end of 2021, and further announcements will be made in due course.
