Flood-Ravaged Molong Bowling Club Seeks Assistance from Member Clubs
More than 12 months after Molong Bowling Club in the state’s Central West was destroyed by floods, the staff are still trying to dry out the floors before they can get trades in to start rebuilding the venue and get it back up and running.
The Club was inundated with metre-high waters in November 2022, ruining the carpet, furniture and some poker machines, and washing away fridges and glassware cleaners. When the disaster struck, the shade cloth that used to cover the area where the bowlers would sit, was off, meaning it also washed away. The Club has been told it will cost over $22,000 to replace it.
Molong Bowling Club Treasurer Yvonne Clyde is understandably devastated and overwhelmed, and is now seeking assistance from the industry to help get the doors of the beloved community institution back open.
"I've never dealt with anything like this before and I don't know what to ask, but please if any clubs read this and they have anything in excess that they can give, please contact us,” Yvonne said.
"Things like tables and chairs, crockery and cutlery, glassware, fridges … we really need everything.”
The rebuild is expected to cost more than $480,000 and while the Club had flood insurance in this instance, it is now uninsurable for the future.
“It came through the Club, about a metre high through the floorboards because there was so much rubbish and creek debris underneath the Club from other floods,” Yvonne said, adding that the previous floodwaters only reached six inches or so in height.
Yvonne and the Club’s Vice President have still been able to hold their Wednesday afternoon bowls and pennants, with canned beer in Eskies up for sale to generate a small amount of income.
The Club is expecting to be partly open by February 2024, with the renovation being completed in stages, starting with the bar area.
“We're going to do the bar area first so that we can actually get the bar up and running again then they'll do the auditorium and the kitchen after that,” Yvonne said.
“If there's any club out there that’s got anything we can have, we would really appreciate the hand.”
If you wish to get in contact with Yvonne, she can be reached at [email protected].
Related
