Gordon Bowling Club Masterplan

Ku-ring-gai Council is converting the former Gordon Bowling Club site at 4 Pennant Avenue, Gordon into a new public park and recreation area. The community is invited to help shape the design and use of this valuable green space that will serve our community for generations to come.

The site is located at 4 Pennant Avenue, Gordon, west of the Pacific Highway between Bushlands Avenue and Cecil Street. It's approximately a 700-metre walk from Gordon rail station.

When complete, the new park will have an area of approximately 1.28 hectares.

The Gordon Bowling Club had occupied the site since 1953 but vacated in early 2018. The site has remained vacant since then. In April 2024, Council resolved to retain the site as Public Open Space.

You can have your say by:

• Completing our online survey
• Pinning your ideas to the interactive plan
• Writing to us via our submissions box with your ideas

Phase 1 (August 1-29, 2025) - Gathering community feedback including:

• Ideas and wants from the community
• Local site knowledge that would affect use and design
• Social history from locals' perspective
• Expression of Interest for potential user groups

Phase 2 (November 2025) - Building and developing ideas through:

• On-site events
• Deliberative workshops and site visits
• Further online feedback based on Phase 1 outputs

Phase 3 (March 2026) - Public exhibition of Landscape masterplan featuring:

• Web portal hosting masterplan document and explanations
• Online forum presenting the masterplan
• On-site drop-in session for community feedback
• Stakeholder workshop with user groups

Detailed design and construction work is scheduled for the 2026/27 financial year.

Public open space is:

• Accessible to everyone
• Can have a variety of uses
• Can include passive and active recreation
• Publicly owned and managed by government

A mix of facilities will be considered to cater for both active and passive recreation. Based on similar projects at other councils, possibilities could include:

• Playspaces and playgrounds
• Community gardens
• Picnic shelters and amenities
• Event venues
• Community centres
• Specialized sports facilities
• Walking paths and bushland connections

Yes, other councils have successfully repurposed bowling club sites including:

• Artarmon - Playspace and community gardens with bushland walk connections
• Kensington Park - Community parking, recreation space, and community centre
• Kings Park, Denistone - Playground, picnic shelters, and amenities
• Petersham - Hybrid approach with retained bowling green and community gardens
• North Manly - Complete redevelopment into a District Gymnastics Centre

Several factors will guide the transformation:

• Environmental protection - Part of the site will remain as natural open space to preserve important native vegetation and local ecology
• Safety and security - Limited natural oversight as it's surrounded by homes on three sides
• Access and parking - Vehicle access restricted to one entry/exit point on Pennant Avenue, with parking at near-maximum capacity. Separate walking path connects to Bushlands Avenue
• Ground conditions - Previous testing revealed soil contamination that limits excavation and earthworks activities
• Stormwater management - Development must account for water runoff patterns to protect neighbouring properties

Current parking is already at near-maximum capacity, which is a key consideration for future planning. Vehicle access is restricted to one entry/exit point on Pennant Avenue.

No, part of the site (Lot X DP 387680) will remain as natural open space to preserve important native vegetation and local ecology.

The engagement is open to all members of the Ku-ring-gai community. Council particularly welcomes input from local residents who have site knowledge and social history perspectives.

Contact details for project updates and enquiries:

• Fleur Rees, Senior Landscape Architect, Ku-ring-gai Council
• Phone: 9424 0807
• Email: frees@krg.nsw.gov.au

Comments for Phase 1 Engagement close on [XYZ date].

Council welcomes local site knowledge that would affect use and design. Technical considerations including environmental protection, safety, access, ground conditions, and stormwater management are all being factored into the planning process.

Yes, the engagement is designed as a three-phase process spanning from August 2025 through March 2026, providing multiple opportunities for community input at different stages of the planning process.