Bowls caravan set to stay

The row surrounding the forced removal of a caretakers' caravan from Broome Bowling Club has taken a giant leap forward and the accommodation is now likely to stay where it has been for almost three decades.

The Shire of Broome said the caravan could stay for 12 weeks from August 1 - the maximum time allowed - and wrote to Local Government Minister Tony Simpson requesting permission for it to remain for 12 months.

Mr Simpson refused because of the land zoning, but negotiations between the Department of Lands and council mean its purpose has now changed, paving the way for the caravan, and husband and wife caretakers John and Glenda Thomas, to stay.

"The Department of Lands received a request from the Shire of Broome to amend the Broome Bowling Club's reserve to include caretakers' accommodation," a department spokeswoman said.

"This accommodation is considered ancillary and beneficial to the bowling club.

"The Department of Lands has approved this request and is now preparing the appropriate paperwork to be lodged at Landgate."

The change of use from "recreation" to "recreation and caretakers' accommodation" will allow Mr Simpson to consider the application under the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulation 1997.

His sign-off is expected to be a formality.

Delighted bowling club president Faye Zavazal said she was "over the moon" with the progress.

"The couple who look after the place have been marvellous," she said. "Having them here has kept burglaries down to nothing. They look after the greens and keep the bar areas looking great.

"When we have functions at night, they help cook the meat on the barbecues."

Ms Zavazal said volunteers would have been left to carry out caretaker duties when the club was "stretched to its limits". "We are a not-for-profit organisation and would not have been able to afford to pay people to come in and do their job," she said.

"All this worry has now been lifted from our shoulders because this was a big deal to the club."

Ms Zavazal said a caravan has been utilised on-site for the past 28 years.

Mr Thomas said he was relieved the matter was on its way to being solved.

"This has been a big burden on everyone for weeks and has put a lot of people under stress," he said.

"Having someone here is convenient for the club and a deterrent to those who might think about breaking in.

"We are really happy this has been sorted."

The mobile accommodation was identified in March this year when a council environmental health officer carried out a routine inspection of the club.