World bowls tournament for Auckland

Press, 24 June 1981, Page 40

World bowls tournament for Auckland

The 1988 world bowls tournament will be at a new, yet to be constructed, recreational reserve in Henderson, just north of Auckland.

The venue was decided at a special meeting in Christchurch yesterday of the NewZealand Bowling Association. This morning the association will begin its annual meeting. New Zealand was awarded the 1988 championships in Australia last year and the choice of venue was a straight contest between Auckland and Christchurch.

Mr J. T. Davis, who chaired a ways and means sub-committee appointed last year to study the requirements of the venue, spoke to his written report. He outlined the various criteria, but his committee made no recommendation as to which venue should be chosen.

The Henderon scheme was proposed by the president of the Auckland centre, Mr J. Malcolm, and he was supported by the Mayor of Henderson, Mr A. K. Corban.

Thej’ outlined the history of a 7.5 ha block of land that the Henderson Borough Council had bought in 1979 and which the council intended developing as a re- ; creational area. -. (

The plan includes the ac- 7 commodation of both the \ Henderson men's and I women's bowling clubs and work on the laying of four greens will be started this year. Both Messrs Malcolm and Corban spoke at length on the suitability of the site for the world championships and told of the support that had already been promised if | Henderson should be chosen, j f They backed up their ap-

plication with a carefully prepared booklet and other written and visual material. Christchurch went to nowhere near as much trouble. Christchurch's site was the Woolston W.M.C. complex, which was used very successfully for the Commonwealth Games bowls in. 1974.

The case was put by Mr A. Memory, who outlined some big improvements planned by the parent club. All that would be he said, was for a fourth green to be laid.'Mr Memory spoke of the high praise the venue had received in 1974 and the experience which' Christ- • church officials had gained , from the. Commonwealth j Games. i

Earlier, when welcoming the delegates to Christchurch, the Mayor, Mr Hamish Hay, had promised the full support of the city if Christchurch should be chosen. However, when the vote was eventually put it was a decisive win for Auckland, 21-13, although, perhaps, not quite as decisive as some members might have ex-, pected. Mr Memory congratulated Auckland and assured its representatives that they would have the full support of the Christchurch centre in the job that lay before them. The meeting decided to establish an incorporated society to organise and conduct the world tournament, but until such time that this organisation has been set up the three-man ways and means committee was asked to keep an eye on world bowls matters. It is estimated that the tournament will cost as much as $2 million to stage. |