The ten-year debate on the future of the former Bexley Bowling Club site has been resolved with Bayside Council voting to sell a portion of the site for low-rise housing to fund the development of the majority of the site as public open space.

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The council had four options for the site at 72 Laycock Street:

. Option 1, to leave the site zoned as RE1 Public Recreation and classified as Community Land.

. Option 2, to proceed with a Planning Proposal to rezone the site to R2 Low Density Residential and to reclassify the land to Operational Land.

. Option 3, to proceed with a Planning Proposal to rezone the site to R3 Medium Density Residential.

. Option 4, to rezone to R2 and sell three of the 11 lots to fund embellishment of the remainder as active open space.

Councillor Liz Barlow moved for Option 4.

"It's a compromise but we have still got most of the site as open space," Cr Barlow said.

"It's all active open space minus three lots which then squares the whole site off," she said.

"It's a long process to go through yet. It has to go back to the community and they will be consulted right through. I've moved it this way so they get most of it as open space. I've had many meetings with the residents. I explained Option 4. They said they didn't have that choice before so they are happy with this to be rezoned option 4," she said.

Cr Fiona Douskou strongly opposed the proposed rezoning and advocated for Option 1, retaining all the site as RE1 Public Recreational Land.

"This decision goes to the heart of what this community has spoken to us very loudly about," she said

"This proposal is being driven in large part by pressure to meet housing targets. But planning should not become a numbers exercise at the expense of community well-being.

"There were 25 submissions opposing rezoning with the overwhelming majority calling for the land to remain public open space. Residents have said that this site is a valued green space and they want it improved with parks, walking paths and community facilities, not for redevelopment.

"I'm also deeply concerned that no costings have been provided for converting this space. We are being asked to weigh options without being given the full financial picture. And yet common sense tells us this would not be an expensive transformation. The building has already been demolished and the land already functions as green space.

"This is not a complex redevelopment. It's an opportunity to enhance what already exists. To then say we don't have funding carries very little weight. Earlier this year council was able to allocate $3.5 million for a heritage property in Bexley.

"If we are serious about protecting green space, this is exactly the kind of site we should be retaining. Rejecting rezoning does not mean ignoring housing challenges. It means recognising that not every single site is appropriate for housing," she said.

Cr Douskou was supported by Cr Vicki Poulos for all the site to be retained exclusively for recreational purposes.

"This site is one of the last significant parcels of community open space in Bexley North. Once it's gone it's gone forever," she said.

"Our community has repeatedly called for it to be retained and enhanced as public open space.

"Population growth is outpacing our open space. Retaining 72 Laycock Street as open space is exactly the kind of practical local solution we need," she said.

Cr Scott Morrissey supported Cr Barlow's call for the adoption of Option 4 for the site.

"This is a really good compromise between open space and housing," he said.

"It's only three lots specifically used to fund embellishment of the rest of the open space," he said. "Its a really good balance between providing a very small and limited number of housing which will realise enough capital value to reinvest in making that park a really beautiful space," he said.

Cr Michael Nagi also supported Option 4.

"We asked the residents what they wanted and they said Option 1. It's a compromise. The next best thing is Option 4. The residents may not get the best outcome but they will get the second best outcome," he said.

Bayside mayor Edward McDougall also supported Option 4.

"The overwhelming response I've received from residents is that they are happy with the compromise solution," he said.

"From a council perspective it is an immediate way to invest on the site and get some high quality open space," he said.

Councillors voted for Option 4 with Cr Douskou voting against.

A history of the site

The council has owned the site at 72 Laycock Street, Bexley North since the late 1940s. Until 2015 the site was used by the Bexley Bowling Club. The former Rockdale Council then awarded a tender for use of the site to the Australian Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) NSW (AHEPA). AHEPA was ultimately unable to secure development consent to re-develop and re-use the site and consequently their lease was terminated in late 2023.

In November 2025 the council report recommended supporting a Planning Proposal to rezone the site at 72 Laycock Street Bexley North to R3 Medium Density Residential. This option was offered because the state government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy already allowed much of the nearby residential land to develop for medium density housing.

The council resolved to defer consideration of the planning proposal pending consultation with the community and a public forum was held on 21 April 2026.

Residents supported the council preparing a masterplan for future recreational use, and investigating alternative sites for housing growth.