A bowling club at Dubbo has embarked on a $6 million upgrade that’s delivering construction jobs to the city’s economy.
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Club Dubbo will expand its floor space as part of a project to enhance access for patrons.
Escalators and a glass lift are part of the design for an updated look.
A second stage of the project will refurbish the club, adding a new and larger kitchen, larger bistro area and a cafe.
On Monday heavy machinery was on site, starting the excavation of about 800 tonnes of dirt for the basement area.
Club Dubbo board chairman John Herring and CEO Rod Firth viewed the progress with representatives of David Payne Constructions.
The Dubbo-based company was awarded the contract after the club took the decision to call for tenders from local suppliers.
“We have always used a Sydney building company for our major projects, however David Payne has over the past 10 years increased his business probably tenfold,” Mr Firth said.
“So the board was very keen to use local builders and naturally local subcontractors, which it’s been successful in doing.”
The upgrade has been in the planning for about five years and the CEO told of their excitement to see it come to fruition.
“Club Dubbo has always grown with Dubbo and as you know, West Dubbo is a growth area and Dubbo has become a western retirement hub, and we want to make Club Dubbo more accessible for the community, being a community club,” Mr Firth said.
So the board was very keen to use local builders and naturally local subcontractors...
- Club Dubbo CEO Rod Firth
Until now, steps had greeted patrons at the front entry, and anyone needing disabled access had to walk around the building to a second entrance.
“...we don’t want to discriminate against disabled people or aged people anymore, and we must get them through the main entrance,” Mr Firth said.
David Payne Constructions reports it employs more than 40 people and it was anticipated the project would involve between 80 and 100 subcontractors during the course of works.
“I think it’s great they have employed locals, it shows we can more than do it, and we’re employing everyone local, except for the lifts and the escalators, which are a specific items,” David Payne said.
“The rest is 100 per cent local, except for those two items, which can’t be sourced anywhere outside Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne.”