Backlash to retirement village plans
Forestville RSL’s $77 million proposal that would see the club torn down and replaced by 55 independent living units for seniors and a new club has angered some club members.
A club member, who wished to remain anonymous, told PL that many members believed the development would ‘destroy Forestville’ and have ‘a huge adverse effect on the local environment and community.’ He said the application had been ‘bulldozed ahead’ despite ‘overwhelming opposition,’ and members mourned the loss of two bowling greens, closed late 2023, on which children currently play.
Members were not given an opportunity to view the development application (DA) before its submission in October. “(Some) have written to the board asking why they were refused a say before the DA went in. They have not had an adequate response,” the member said.
A new single-level club is planned over an underground car park on the current bowling greens area. Also included are a children’s area, alfresco dining and new eateries. There would be 16 independent living units over two levels above the club. This complex would be built first.
An additional 39 units across three three-storey buildings would then follow on the land where the current club sits.
Forestville RSL chief executive officer Ian Thomson told PL that gaming was the biggest revenue stream for clubs, and that Clubs NSW had advised clubs to ‘change their financial models to anticipate future government gaming reforms.’
“If there’s a threat to your biggest revenue stream, then you are fool if you don’t take action,” Mr Thomson told PL. “Clubs have to change, and that means trying to generate money from our single biggest asset – our land.”
He said the response to the redevelopment had been positive. “I accept that some people are opposed to it, but for anyone to say that it’s an ‘overwhelming’ number of members is just not factual.”
With regards to the bowling greens, he said there were 35 active bowlers from the club’s 9,000 members and maintenance costs in excess of $50,000 per annum meant the club could no longer support the greens.
Mr Thomson said it would have been ‘problematic’ to allow members to see the DA before submission. “It is, by necessity, a very complex document with over 17 individual reports from consultants, many over 100 pages, and would not have been helpful.”
The DA is on exhibition on council’s website until 21 November.
