Perth Voice Interactive

THIS trophy made of Emu Export beer cans. Claims of anti-social behaviour and drug use. Yelling. Swearing. And the bang of a roller-hockey puck hitting timber.

The cocktail has led to WA’s newest sporting league being asked to reconsider its future at the Bayswater Bowling Club, its home of just five months.

The Street Roller Hockey League is also facing fines of up to $5000 because neighbours complain game play noise is excessive and they’re being “audibly molested”.

“I want to be able to open my window to let in the sea breeze and have a barbecue in my backyard but I can’t do that because the noise is incessant on five days a week and on weekends,” a neighbour of Frank Drago Reserve told councillors this week, at a council meeting convened especially to discuss the issue.

Dobbed

Some locals have dobbed the league in to the WA liquor commission for being too rowdy, prompting an investigation.

Bowling club president Steve Lay says normal exuberance has been blown out of proportion by people with an axe to grind.

“Someone has decided to attack them and make false claims of drug-taking, anti-social behaviour, irresponsible service of alcohol, drinking on unlicensed premises, public drunkenness, smashing bottles in streets when they’re leaving and other unbelievable accusations because they want this shut down,” Mr Lay says.

“These are unsubstantiated accusations. I was there on the night and wasn’t as big and bad as it’s been blown out to be.

“Most of them left at 9.30pm and they were all told to use taxis or take the train. Just because they might have been laughing and having a good time, doesn’t mean they were drunk and disorderly.

“This is a group of 20 to 30-year-olds who have nothing but the best intentions. They’re fun-loving, respectful people with good manners and are seeking fellowship and friendship. They’re trying to do something good in the community and someone is making up lies and claims of lawlessness because they don’t want them around.”

Liquor commission spokesman Gary McHugh says it’s investigating the matter, but won’t have anything to report for a “couple of weeks”.

Roller hockey league founder Eamonn Lourey says the group will spend $3000 replacing the rink barrier with thicker timber and insulation to soften noise.

He’s also looking into other cost-effective ways to reduce sound, such as planting shrubs and trees. “We weren’t aware of being too loud until late January so we haven’t been able to try fix the problem until recently,” he told the Voice.

He says the league has been good for Bayswater, and the bowling club: “We all go out for coffee, have breakfast out, and if we were to move to an industrial area away from housing, like some locals suggested in the meeting, there would be no benefit to local businesses. I want this to be part of the Bayswater fabric.”

The group has invested $50,000 on its home rink which, if all goes well with sound mitigation, will be the league’s northern hub. Expansion plans include a southern hub. The March to June season will involve more than 108 teams.

Mayor Barry McKenna told the meeting the league had saved the cash-strapped bowling club from closure despite the council waiving $52,000 in interest on a $300,000 loan. He conceded the council was “partly to blame” as now-abandoned plans to redevelop the reserve had delayed new leases.

A new lease for the bowling club, which could be discussed later this month, will likely include a clause against foul language and noise.

The council was advised earlier this year the league had broken “environmental protection noise regulations” by up to a dozen decibels after 7pm.

It’s keeping its noise monitors on site, and staffers will step if there’s another breach, Cr McKenna says.

“If there is a breach, and the league fail to comply, then they will have to cease what they’re doing to trigger the monitors, and if they don’t they’ll face prosecution,” he says.

by EMMIE DOWLING