Gisborne & District Bowling Club can welcome more players all year round following the opening of a new synthetic rink at the club on Friday 5 April.
The Hon Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Member for Macedon, officially opened the new rink which replaced the old turf green, ensuring the club now has two year-round bowling greens, reducing ongoing green maintenance costs for the club and enabling them to expand their usage.
The old natural turf green was past its prime and beginning to deteriorate, while climate conditions in the Macedon Ranges meant it was only able to be used for around half the year. It is anticipated that the new synthetic green will increase participation levels by about 30 per cent due to the additional months of the year that the facility will now be available for use.
New fencing, retaining wall and drainage, shade structures, seating, scoreboards, and rink markers were also included in the upgrades.
The $568,336 project was jointly funded by the Victorian Government's 2021-22 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund ($245,164), Gisborne & District Bowling Club ($172,436), and Macedon Ranges Shire Council ($150,736).
Council's Mayor Annette Death thanked the Victorian Government for their contribution to the upgrades and for supporting recreational activities in the shire which have so many positive benefits.
"Activities such as these provide opportunities for socialisation and inclusion within our community, as well as physical activity, all of which is a positive for our health and wellbeing."
"Council would also like to thank and acknowledge the dedication shown and time spent on the project by Gisborne & District Bowling Club whose hard work is one of the main reasons these upgrades were able to happen."
