Molong Bowling Club to rebuild on-site after majority rejects rezone proposal

More than 67 per cent of people belonging to Molong Bowling Club were in favour of staying at its 8 Euchareena Road location following a 42-to-20 vote.

A tricky process for both its members and those who sit on the board, like Margot Brown, it's confirmed the flood-recovering club will stay put.

"Location, location, location, I think was the thing that kept the people that wanted to keep the bowlo, here," Mrs Brown said.

"It was talked about quite in-depth for quite a long while and it caused a lot of grief with a lot of people, but the members voted and we're here to stay."

Last year's raging floodwaters tore through the site at record-high levels on November 14, leaving the adored clubhouse in internal tatters and surrounded by debris.

Its two bowling greens resembled a murky brown lake, as opposed to the gathering hub it had been to so many in the community.

For someone so involved with the club - and a Molong resident since age three - to see the state it's in today doesn't come with an easy set of feelings to digest.

"It was the worst we've ever seen and it gets you a bit, because this is depressing to look at," Mrs Brown said with tears.

"The flood in 2005 just came up through the floorboards and ruined the carpets, but this was nearly a metre up the wall.

"It's just always had a good atmosphere, you know? I've been to a lot of functions here, I mean, we've had funerals here, family funerals, parties and whatnot.

"It's a good place and it's been such a long slog for the past year, it's been really, really draining. But it's good that we're moving forward now."

Which is why Tuesday's announcement of a $20,000 grant in Round Eight of the government's Stronger Communities Programme is accompanied by sighs of relief from its members.

This bucket of funding will go toward restoring the club's greens - which weren't covered by flood insurance.

Internal revamping has a start date of "any day now" as members wait for the go-ahead day from a construction company.

But Margot Brown says the reason why the inside of the club will soon "be back better than ever" is because of the bowlo's treasurer, Yvonne Clyde.

"She's been unbelievable," Mrs Brown said.

"We didn't have flood and storm damage insurance and she picked up on it, she kept saying 'are you sure we don't have it?'

"She looked into it and paid the insurance, so for 260-or-something dollars a year, she's saved this place."

Member for Calare, Andrew Gee gave credit to Mrs Clyde for her outstanding club-saving efforts, saying the call to secure insurance was certainly "money very well-spent" in hindsight.

"If the club had not been able to activate that, well, this club would have folded ... there would have been absolutely nothing left to rebuild with," Mr Gee said.

"Yvonne has done an extraordinarily good job."

For Mrs Clyde, she says while those attached to Molong Bowling Club "know it's going to be a long haul" with recovery, it's also a worthy one.

"This club means a lot to me," she said.

"My husband's father was a founding member here, my husband did presidency here twice and was on the board for I can't remember how many years, and since his passing, I just wanted to get in and support the club."

Margot Brown added "it's in her blood".

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Sign-up to our latest newsletter: