Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The 2025 bowls season has begun, and I recently had the opportunity to attend three different bowls clubs events in my electorate to mark the beginning of the season. On 19 September I attended Campbells Creek Bowling Club to see the grade 5 and 6 students participate in their last game with the seniors. We had helped them with a volunteer grant to go towards purchasing junior bowls. On 20 September I joined the Harcourt Bowling club to celebrate its 70th anniversary, only to learn that it was the Campbells Creek and Maldon bowls clubs that had started that club. The very next day, on 21 September, I visited Maldon Bowling Club to officially help open their season. It was great to join the club and their special player—I wish to give a shout-out to Grace.

Bowls clubs are a great way for people in the regions to engage and connect with others. There are 21 in my electorate, from all the way up at Rochester down to Kyneton, and only one of them is attached to gaming. That's 20 community based clubs that provide a safe and inclusive space for all ages. They become the gathering point for major milestone events in families. They are quite often the community space for big events. They create an atmosphere in lots of our small towns like Maldon and Harcourt—just to name a few. They are community hubs that engage people in a fun and inclusive way. Good luck for the rest of the season.

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