Latest news with #MarkBain
Perth Now
16-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Whaleback driving range on course for much needed revamp
Works to bring the Whaleback golf facility in Parkwood above par are on course, with a contract awarded for the first stage of its long-awaited revamp. The City of Canning council voted unanimously at its special meeting on July 1 to award the contract for the work to Schlager Group. It includes refurbishing the driving range building, new entertainment bays, construction and fit-out of a kitchen, and new toilets. Other approved upgrades include netting to reduce the number of balls flying from the range and more Toptracer technology. The works are expected to increase the range's working life to 35 years and its value to $7.4 million. The Whaleback Golf Course was previously operated under private management for more than four decades. Credit: Andrew Ritchie / Community News Deputy mayor Mark Bain said there had been a couple of false starts with the revamp but they were because of 'due diligence'. 'This project is part of a much larger effort to make Whaleback not only a high-quality facility but also a future alternative source for revenue that can help offset rates,' he said. A council report said the works would enable the city to capitalise on the demand for golf entertainment. 'Upgrade of the driving range is critical for protecting Whaleback's long-term revenue growth, diversification of the user base, and alignment with the emerging trends in golf entertainment,' it said. Schlager Group was among six bids for the work. Past projects it has been involved in include upgrades at Litis Stadium. Whaleback — which is the only golf course in the City of Canning — has always been a public course but it was only in December 2023 that the city took over management responsibility. Its business case for the upgrade of Whaleback has been kept confidential.
Belfast Telegraph
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
NI village 'buzzing' at potential link to US Vice President who hailed his 'Scots-Irish hillbilly' heritage
The US Vice President has declared himself a 'Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart' – and now historians are scrambling to prove a link with the village of Coagh, writes Mark Bain To watch an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? is to be taken on a journey down strange and unexpected paths through a family history. You never know where it might lead. Should US Vice President JD Vance ever sit down with the experts, he has already indicated he expects he will travel through time and land on the shores of Ireland.
Belfast Telegraph
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
The Vance name echoes throughout Co Tyrone... but does history tell us it leads to the White House?
The US Vice President has declared himself a 'Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart' – and now historians are scrambling to prove a link with the village of Coagh, writes Mark Bain To watch an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? is to be taken on a journey down strange and unexpected paths through a family history. You never know where it might lead. Should US Vice President JD Vance ever sit down with the experts, he has already indicated he expects he will travel through time and land on the shores of Ireland.
