MAY 2021 Big Funding Win for Bowls Club Koo Wee Rup Bowls Club Have Been Fortunate to Receive a Grant of $1.6 Million to Rebuild Their Club Rooms
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THE KOO WEE RUP BLACKFISH MAY 2021 Big Funding Win for Bowls Club Koo Wee Rup Bowls Club have been fortunate to receive a grant of $1.6 million to rebuild their club rooms. The current rooms, while serving the club well over many years, have wobbly foundations and, like so many buildings of that vintage, are full of asbestos. The grant was courtesy of the state government’s Growing Suburbs Fund. Cardinia Shire Council will be providing additional funding, if needed, to make sure the project can be completed. Members of the club gathered to hear the good news from local MP Jordan Crugnale and Cardinia Shire Councillor Graeme Moore. Cr Moore said he was proud to be representing local councillor Ray Brown at the presentation and said that the clubrooms would be one of Cr Brown’s great legacies to the community. Club President Pauline Gray acknowledged the hard work Ray had put in over the years (including inadvertently attempting to burn the club rooms down with an overenthusiastic barbecue) to get the club rooms upgraded saying: ‘We are so Koo Wee Rup Bowling Club members celebrating the announcement. Club President Pauline Gray shaking hands with Jordan Crugnale MP and Cr Graeme grateful for all the work that Ray Brown and Moore, in front of the old club rooms. the greater community of Koo Wee Rup have put into getting these new and much welcomed facilities.’ Pauline hopes that the community will be able to make good use of the redeveloped club rooms. She announced that the club is keen to restart their primary school bowling program next year after it was put on hold by Covid. Jordan Crugnale MP said how happy she was to make the announcement of funding for sporting facilities for older members of the community. ‘These projects come to light because of a vision, the drive, the relentlessness to keep at it, the ability to rally people together and bring their local council along the journey. Thank you, Cr Ray Brown, the Bowling Club and everyone involved – it is an absolute honour to join you in this partnership. Together we will make this happen and it will be an amazing asset and focal point for the area.’ Koo Wee Rup Township Committee Meeting The Township held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, 7 April at the Koo Wee Rup Community Centre. Township Meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 5 May at 7:30 pm at the Koo Wee Rup Community Centre. The shelter over the BBQs at Bayles was damaged in a storm about three years ago and had to be removed. Council had agreed to replace it at the time, despite repeated assurances the shelter has yet to be replaced. Can council give a commitment to replace it and a date by when the work will be completed? The Secretary will forward this question to Cardinia Shire CEO. Continued Page 5 Items printed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or beliefs of the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to edit any items, where necessary. All work associated with the production of The Koo Wee Rup Blackfish is done on a voluntary basis. Edited by C Roff email: [email protected] PO Box 64, Koo Wee Rup 3981, Tel 5997 2333 Printed by KWR Township Committee Proudly supporting the Koo Wee Rup Blackfish THE KOO WEE RUP BLACKFISH May 2021 What's on in Koo Wee Rup and District May Sat 1st Pilates (See page 15) Eco House - Hospital 9am Sun 2nd Bayles Fauna Park Working Bee & Committee Meeting Bayles Fauna Park 9am Sun 2nd KWR Bowling Club AGM Bowls Club 2pm Mon 3rd KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Mon 3rd Pilates Eco House - Hospital 6pm Mon 3rd CWA Meeting Senior Citizens Club 7.30pm Wed 5th Koo Wee Coffee Club Royal Hotel 10am Wed 5th Township Committee Meeting Community Centre 7pm Wed 5th Lions Club Meeting RSL Clubrooms 7.30pm Thu 6th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Fri 7th KWR Regional Health Service Ladies Auxiliary Meeting RSL Clubrooms 9.30am Fri 7th Triples Bowls Club 10.30am Fri 7th KWR Senior Citizens Lunch (members only) Senior Citizens Club 11.30am Fri 7th KWR Senior Citizens Bingo (members only) Senior Citizens Club 1pm Fri 7th Koo Wee 4 Kids & Brave Youth turningpoint Church 6pm Sat 8th Pilates Eco House - Hospital 9am Mon 10th KWR Senior Citizens Committee Meeting Senior Citizens Club 10.30am Mon 10th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Mon 10th Pilates Eco House - Hospital 6pm Tue 11th Community Centre Committee Meeting Community Centre 7.30pm Wed 12th KWR Swamp Historical Society Meeting KWR Museum 7.30pm Thu 13th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Fri 14th KWR Senior Citizens Lunch & Bingo (members only) Senior Citizens Club 11.30am Fri 14th Koo Wee 4 Kids & Brave Youth turningpoint Church 6pm Sat 15th Pilates Eco House - Hospital 9am Sun 16th Make a Wish in May (back page) Community Garden 12.30pm Mon 17th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Mon 17th Pilates Eco House - Hospital 6pm Mon 17th CWA Craft Night Senior Citizens Club 7.30pm Wed 19th Koo Wee Coffee Club Chandelier Cafe 10am Thu 20th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Fri 21st Triples Bowls Club 10.30am Fri 21st KWR Senior Citizens Lunch & Bingo (members only) Senior Citizens Club 11.30am Fri 21st Koo Wee 4 Kids & Brave Youth turningpoint Church 6pm Sat 22nd Pilates Eco House - Hospital 9am Mon 24th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Mon 24th Pilates Eco House – Hospital 6pm Thu 27th KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm Fri 28th KWR Senior Citizens Lunch & Bingo (members only) Senior Citizens Club 11.30am Fri 28th Koo Wee 4 Kids & Brave Youth turningpoint Church 6pm Sat 29th Pilates Eco House - Hospital 9am Sun 30th KWR Swamp Historical Society Annual Luncheon (back page) Tooradin Sports Club 12noon Sun 30th Social Bowls Bowls Club 12.30pm Mon 31st KWR Senior Citizens Indoor Bowls (members only) Senior Citizens Club 12.30pm HAVE YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? JUSTICE OF THE PEACE Have you got some news, a photo, or an opinion you want For document signing and associated services to share with your community? Why not say it in the contact: Blackfish? Just drop me a line at [email protected] post to PO Box 64, KWR or phone 5997 2333 GARY KING JP - 0438 663 655 Caroline Roff, Editor JP duties are a free community service Page 2 THE KOO WEE RUP BLACKFISH May 2021 Raymond Henry Brown 5 August 1942 – 16 April 2021 Last month Koo Wee Rup lost one of its most passionate and effective advocates. Ray Brown first came to Koo Wee Rup in 1970 as station master, a position he held until the closure of the line. He quickly became an integral part of the community. Ray was dedicated to improving the community and was tenacious in finding solutions to difficulties that arose. Once he decided something was going to happen, nothing was going to stop it from happening. Over time Ray was a committee member of numerous community groups including the football club, recreation reserve committee, RSL Sub-Branch and Bowls Club and was a great supporter of many other groups with which he was not directly involved. In 1998, Ray set up the Koo Wee Rup Township Committee to provide a stronger voice to local and state governments. He became the inaugural president, a role he held for over a decade, and the committee began working to improve the facilities in town. Since 2016 Ray has represented the district as a Shire Councillor, first as one of two councillors for Port Ward and, since the end of 2020, then as the sole councillor for Westernport Ward. Over the years, through his involvement with his various community groups and on council Ray has been integral in the achievement of many improvements to Koo Wee Rup, including: obtaining the land, organising and coordinating the subsequent building of the community centre; development of the skateboard park, children’s playground and barbecue area in Cochrane Park; organising the creation of the bi-centenary tourist feature in Koo Wee Rup – the clock towers and the detailed information boards on the history of KWR; planning the route through KWR for the Olympic Games baton in 2000 and organising the KWR section of the baton relay for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the two days of local celebration that followed; the establishment and organisation of the local celebration for Australia Day in Koo Wee Rup; development of the boundary drain walking track and the rail trail; upgrades to the recreation reserve including the installation of floodlighting at the Netball Courts and Football Oval, resurfacing the oval, installation of underground drainage and an automatic irrigation system; the planning and construction of the new “Welcome to Koo Wee Rup” sign boards now positioned at each entrance to the town; lobbying for and organising the building of Public Toilets for the town; refurbishment of the car park near the swimming pool. Ray pressured the local council to get the area asphalted, install lights and plant shrubs in the surrounds; fought to get public transport back to Koo Wee Rup, a battle that is ongoing - the redevelopment of the bus interchange and the bus from Koo Wee Rup to Pakenham were as a result of his lobbying; getting natural gas connected to Koo Wee Rup; building of the Koo Wee Rup bypass; building the laneway that runs beside Woolworths from Station Street to the rail trail.