Ron Halligan is waiting for the community to weigh up his plans for a multi-million dollar social club in Kooweerup. 26630
By Melissa Grant
A MULTI-MILLION dollar social club featuring an indoor bowling green, poker machines, restaurant, hotel and function rooms may soon be coming to Kooweerup.
The facility will cost about $12 million, provide 30-odd jobs and create a major tourist destination in the small town.
The Kooweerup Bowling Club will present its proposal to the Kooweerup Township Committee tonight (Wednesday).
Ron Halligan, a member of the bowls club, said the project had “tremendous” potential and would greatly benefit the towns of Kooweerup and Lang Lang.
“There’s nothing like it in our community – all the facilities we’ve got are basic shelter sheds,” he said.
“It’s got potential to take in tourist buses that go down to Phillip Island.”
Mr Halligan said pokies would work well at the not-for-profit multi-recreational centre.
“This type of facility would be different to a venue that just has pokies – it would have a wider range of diversions than any club,” he said.
“We’ll put it up as something to consider and it’s up to the community to decide if that’s what they want … we think it has very good potential,” he said.
The full-sized indoor bowling green planned for the facility would be used during the day and under lights. Mr Halligan said the centre would host bowls tournaments, attracting competitors from across Victoria.
He said the facility would also tap into the lack of recreational facilities in the region.
“We’ve got to be successful in targeting people that want to do something after hours,” Mr Halligan said.
Mr Halligan has a background in national marketing and has been dreaming up the project for five years. But he said it would not proceed without the support of the community or relevant authorities.
“We need to get agreement in principal from the (Cardinia Shire) council, VicRoads and the (State) government,” he said.
“What we really need to do is to air the project to see if that’s what the community wants.”
The Kooweerup Bowling Club will present the proposal to locals at community centres in Kooweerup on 24 February and the following night at Lang Lang. All locals are welcome at the meetings which both start at 8pm.
