THE Wave Park Group (WPG) has been canvassing support for its proposed Alfred Cove surf park by employing eight people to collect signatures across 16 suburbs.

The WPG has copped heat in recent weeks because their surf park proposal is associated with the Melville  council’s contentious plan to eject the Melville bowling club from its home in Tompkins Park.

However, Melville council made it clear a decision on the surf park will be made separately to a decision on the bowling club when CEO Shayne Silcox said the plan to uproot bowlers (and settle them in a nearby mixed-use sporting hub) was made before the WPG pitched their interest for Tompkins Park.

WPG founder Andrew Ross says that despite some nay-saying, the surf park is welcomed by the Melville community and will cater to amateur and professional surfers alike.

“Having attended a large number of markets and sporting wind ups in the City of Melville over the past few weeks, we have received overwhelming support from residents for the surf park proposal”, Mr Ross says.

Mr Ross didn’t want to comment on details of the survey, but did say canvassing wasn’t the same as “paying for signatures”.

Although the Chook received a flurry of letters against the surf park when it was first announced, a chat with senior bowling club members indicated they were not among the dissenters.

Vice president Garry McCormack thought the bowling club’s fate was inevitable, and even praised the surf park concept.

“The future of our bowling club is to run with the council and go into a nice new premises,” Mr McCormack said.

“[The surf park] would be great for Melville…I think it’s a great idea, I’ve got grandkids and they would just love it.”

President Ken Atkins’ support was more provisional, but he didn’t blame the club’s displacement on the WPG either.

“Good luck to the wave-pool: it could be a boom or a bust, it’s hard to say,” Mr Atkins said.

Melville will decide the bowling club’s fate at this month’s meeting.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM