Eight Bangalow community members attended Norths AGM on Monday, 25 May, to seek answers about the future of Bangalow Bowlo, but received no meaningful engagement, with their concerns merely ‘noted’.
Bangalow Advisory Committee (BAC) members, Bangalow Community Association (BCA) president and two sporting group representatives attended the meeting (via video link) to address growing concern over the club’s closure and the ongoing delay in negotiations regarding its return to community control.
Long-time Bangalow resident and BCA president, Ian Holmes, addressed the board questioning why Norths Collective had failed to commence meaningful negotiations around returning the club to the community.
‘Beyond the devastation caused by losing a major community hub, the question is simple – why has Norths Collective not entered into a legally binding negotiation process along the lines already contemplated?’ Mr Holmes asked.
Pathway is clearly outlined
‘The pathway is clearly outlined within the constitutional framework and previous discussions, yet meaningful talks along those lines have not been progressed by Norths.’
The BAC says the community remains frustrated that the club has now been closed for seven months while negotiations continue to stall.
‘Bangalow has a right to know if Norths Collective still stands by a proposal agreed in-principle with the Bangalow community in December 2025,’ said Mr Holmes.
‘The “Pathways to Community Ownership” model would return the club to the Bangalow community with Norths holding a $2 million mortgage over the property – interest free, with no repayments required, and the debt ultimately extinguished after 25 years.’
Left stranded
‘The Bangalow community has spent the past five months working through the detail of that proposal in good faith. And now Norths have backed away and left us stranded. Again!’
Norths were asked four times during the AGM whether the December agreement remained on the table. However, the question was never directly answered.
Norths Collective also claimed during the meeting that the Bangalow Bowling Club had lost approximately $900,000 over the three years it was operated under Norths management.
‘Our position is straightforward – the community did not run the club during that period. Norths did,’ said Mr Holmes.
‘It is unfair for those losses to now somehow be attributed back to the Bangalow community.’
During the meeting, Norths Collective Chairman Mark Holman acknowledged that taking over the Bangalow Bowling Club ‘was probably’ a bad business decision.
A renewed level of interest
‘It seems there is a renewed level of interest in the club with its prospects and assets attracting increasing attention from other clubs. Later in the discussion Norths said that the Bowlo was ‘probably not even worth a brass razoo,’ according to Mr Holmes.
The disparaging remark prompted a strong response from a Bangalow community member, ‘We have lost our sporting clubs, our venue, a major community asset – and all you talk about is money. If it’s not worth a brass razoo, then why not give it back?’
The BAC says the community remains committed to pursuing a constructive outcome based on de-amalgamation that sees the club returned to local ownership. This will involve setting up a new entity and board.
Bowlo closure notice contradicts MOU
The Save Bangalow Bowlo Steering Committee says it’s seeking clarification regarding a number of statements made by Norths Collective CEO Tony Mathew in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article concerning the closure of the Bangalow Bowling Club.
The Committee says several comments made by Mr Mathew, together with statements published on The Bowlo website, raise important questions when compared with the commitments contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formed the basis of the amalgamation.
In the Sydney Morning Herald article, Mr Mathew defended the closure of the Bowlo, stating that the premises required significant maintenance and that trading losses and financial pressures had made ongoing operation difficult.
Mr Mathew was quoted as saying, ‘There will always be debate about the degree of maintenance which needs to be undertaken.’
The Steering Committee notes that the issue is not whether maintenance can be debated, but whether the obligations agreed to under the MOU were fulfilled.
Norths
The MOU required Norths to commence repairs, replacements, renovations, refurbishments and upgrades necessary to ensure compliance with applicable building standards within three months of completion of the amalgamation.
It also required Norths to maintain the premises in a good state of repair and condition and committed at least $3.5 million in financially viable repairs, renovations, refurbishments and upgrades during the first ten years following amalgamation.
‘If substantial compliance and safety works were required in October 2025, the community is entitled to understand what repairs, maintenance and compliance works were undertaken during the preceding two years and four months,’ a Steering Committee spokesperson said.
Clarification
The Committee is also seeking clarification regarding the basis of Norths’ financial assessment.
On The Bowlo website, Norths stated, ‘Following three (3) years of trading between Norths and the former Bangalow Bowling & Sports Club Limited (the Bowlo), Norths has undertaken a detailed review…’ and further stated that:
‘The Bowlo premises requires substantial and costly repairs and refurbishment to meet compliance, safety and operational standards.’
The Steering Committee notes that the Bowlo was closed on 24 October 2025, approximately 28 months after completion of the amalgamation.
‘The community is struggling to understand how a review based on three years of trading can be relied upon when the club had operated under Norths for approximately two years and four months,’ the spokesperson said.
‘This is particularly relevant because the MOU itself contains financial viability provisions that refer to events occurring after the third anniversary of amalgamation.’
Costs
Mr Mathew was also quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying, ‘The cost of opening the doors is constantly increasing when many people are experiencing challenges themselves with the cost of living. We have a long record of… trying to support distressed clubs, but this is becoming more and more difficult given our current level of debt.’
The Steering Committee acknowledges the broader challenges facing community clubs but notes that members voted for amalgamation based on specific commitments relating to repairs, upgrades, maintenance, and the long-term future of the Bowlo.
The Committee also notes that no council closure order, building prohibition notice, fire safety order, or publicly released engineering report requiring immediate closure has been produced.
‘We support safe operation of community facilities,’ the spokesperson said. ‘What the community is seeking is transparency around the evidence that led to the decision to close the club immediately and how that decision aligns with the commitments made during amalgamation.’
Legal advice
The Steering Committee has now sought independent legal advice and representation and has requested Liquor & Gaming NSW examine matters relating to governance, transparency and compliance with commitments made during the amalgamation process.
‘The community voted for amalgamation on the understanding that the Bowlo would be repaired, upgraded and protected for future generations,’ the spokesperson said. ‘Today the club remains closed, and many members and residents are still seeking answers about how those commitments were delivered and how a three-year review could be used to justify closure after only two years and four months of operation.’
The Steering Committee says it remains committed to a constructive outcome that sees the Bangalow Bowlo returned to community ownership and reopened as a thriving sporting and social hub.
For updates, follow Save Bangalow Bowlo on Facebook.
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