Jamie Chaffey (Parkes, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Often at the heart of a community you will find a much-loved place where locals gather. The Lightning Ridge Bowling Club is one of those places. On 14 November I was honoured to attend the opening of stage 2 of this great club's renovations and to unveil the plaque alongside the founding president, life member and patron, 94-year-old Mr Tony Dowton. The $6.5 million renovations build on a long tradition of providing a place where locals and visitors can come together to enjoy a drink and a meal, play bowls and attend events, and $1.5 million of that came through a Commonwealth investment.

The club has expanded its value as a family space by creating an extensive indoor-outdoor children's play space. It has turned a former TAB space into a family room and has made the club more accessible for people with all abilities. The upgrades look fantastic. The club is also looking ahead to more renovations, including a commercial kitchen and function rooms. These are great plans for a town whose population is growing.

Clubs such as the Lightning Ridge Bowling Club are critical in any community, let alone those in remote areas, where social connections are so important. I congratulate the club president, Ian Anderson; the club's CEO, Scott Bailey; the board of directors and all those who have come before them to create this successful facility.