Club puts cards on table

KATINA CURTIS

BRIDGE Club members have put their cards on the table " there will be no liquor licence at their new clubhouse.

Kiama councillors again debated the closing time for the unbuilt Bridge Club clubhouse last night, after a public access meeting on Monday in which both sides were put.

The plan of management for Bonaira Playing Fields, allowing the Bridge Club to build there, was adopted unanimously by the council in July last year, after the closing time for night sessions was amended to 10pm in response to residents' concerns.

Earlier this year, Kiama and District Bridge Club approached the council again and asked if this closing time could be amended to 11pm.

The debate last night was on a recission motion brought by councillors Trevor Fredericks, Warren Steel, Hamish East and Sandra McCarthy after the July meeting in an attempt to bring about a compromised closing time of 10.30pm.

At Monday's public access meeting, Bridge Club representative Dot Blomley said club members felt there had been a lot of false information circulated by residents of the streets around the playing fields.

In particular, she said, was the statement that a liquor licence, or temporary licences, would be granted for the building.

"We have no intentions that we hire the hall to anyone who is going to use alcohol," she said.

"We will be very careful and very diligent about who we let this facility to. This is our pride and joy; we have worked very hard to get this.

"We won't be hiring it out to people for weddings, there will be no liquor licence and I promise you we will be a very quiet group and always think of local residents."

Last week club president Theo Mangos told the Kiama Independent that as far as he was aware there was no liquor licence attached to the building.

The council's general manager confirmed this.

Councillors Steel and Fredericks said they would most likely oppose any plan for liquor a licence to be granted at the clubhouse.