The Mosgiel RSA executive has confirmed it has no intention of selling the land occupied by the RSA Bowling Club.
When the Dunedin City Council turned down a request for it to buy the land and take ownership of the Mosgiel RSA Bowling Club, it was feared the land could be sold to developers.
The secretary of the bowling club, Barrie Ferguson, asked the RSA for an assurance that it would not sell the bowling club land.
‘‘They were just flying a kite with the DCC,'' Ferguson told the Otago Daily Times. ‘‘I didn't think they had any intention to sell the land.''
That assurance was given to bowling club members this week when they received a letter from the Mosgiel RSA executive.
The letter stated that the RSA ‘‘wishes to assure the bowlers that it has no intention to sell the bowling club site other than the proposal to the Dunedin City Council''.
It further reassured the bowling club that any proposal to sell the land in the future would have to be passed at a general meeting of the RSA club.
‘‘There would be sufficient bowling club members present to make sure a motion to sell the land would not be passed,'' RSA executive member Bill Gale said.
The bowling club is owned by the Mosgiel Memorial RSA, and bowlers must be members of the RSA to join the club. The green is across the road from the RSA rooms.
The proposal to sell the land to the DCC developed from the RSA's need to revamp itself to get more younger members. It does not have the finances to do this.
It wanted the DCC to take ownership of the bowling club land for an estimated $400,000.
The DCC turned down the proposal because it already owns 30% of the land occupied by bowling clubs in Dunedin.
Gale later talked to Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin about the proposal. ‘‘He said that the DCC was in no position to purchase the bowling club because it would open too many other doors,'' Gale said.
Ferguson emphasised the strength of the Mosgiel RSA Bowling Club, which has a membership of 100.
‘‘There are only four other clubs in the Bowls Dunedin Centre that have a bigger membership,'' he said.
The club's members range in age from 60 to 80; it does not have the younger members some other clubs have.
The club was formed in 1991 as a branch of the Mosgiel Memorial RSA. It has a full-sized eight-rink artificial green. It is the only outdoor artificial green of its type in Dunedin.
‘‘Because of its artificial surface, the bowling club is able to operate 12 months of the year,'' Gale said. ‘‘Members of other clubs also play on the rink during the winter months.''
Ferguson said the artificial mat was put down four years ago at a cost of $108,000. ‘‘Our debt is almost paid off,'' he said. ‘‘We owe just $17,000.''
