Hokianga Bowling Club

This consultation is now closed.  Submissions were open for four weeks from Tuesday 10 October to Tuesday 7 November 2023.

We are seeking public feedback on a proposal to grant a new 15-year ground lease over a Rāwene Recreation Reserve for the Hokianga Bowling Club.

Hokianga Bowling Club Incorporated (HBC) initially leased the site from the council in 1998. This lease expired in 2017, although the club has continued to occupy and pay rent on the site. Hokianga Bowling Club now wishes to apply for a new ground lease.

The club has a long history in the town. Its historic building was built 115 years ago when the site was vested as a Recreation Reserve. In 1925, it was transformed into a bowling club and has remained a focal point for Rāwene and the broader Hokianga community.

Hokianga Bowling Club hosts weekly twilight bowls games for five months annually and organises several tournaments attended by bowls clubs from across Northland. The club premises also serve as a venue for Hokianga Treks 4 Kids, Rāwene Primary School, and Rāwene Ambulance. Hokianga Bowling Club wishes to maintain its presence on this site and continue providing recreational activities to the residents of Hokianga.

Under the Reserves Act, the council must notify the public of any proposal to lease a Recreation Reserve and seek feedback before it makes a decision.