Springwood Country Club will get a $200,000 loan from council to replace a leaking roof.
The course is owned by council and leased by the country club at a reduced rate. In return, the club is supposed to maintain the course and buildings.
But the roof now leaks and the pump to sewer system needs updating. A replacement roof will cost between $80,000 and $100,000 and the sewer system up to $100,000.
The club’s captain and treasurer, Robert Bradley, addressed council’s meeting last Tuesday night.
He said a loss of $55,000 last financial year was “not reflective” of the club’s usual results, which in previous years had returned profits of $8,000 to $10,000.
The main losses had been on the poker machines, where the club had “dropped the ball” on how the gaming room was used, he said. It had been partly used to store equipment, making it less attractive to gamblers.
The club had now addressed that issue, painting the room and installing new lights and removing the stored equipment.
The club had also upgraded facilities to attract more functions and has a meeting room which can be hired by the community, thus increasing its sources of revenue, he said.
When asked by Cr Kevin Schreiber why the essential maintenance had not been done, Mr Bradley said: ”It’s a matter of priorities.”
“We don’t have a lot of money available so we have had to spend the money in areas where we get a direct revenue, get more people into the club. The roof has just not been something we have been able to fund and finance.”
He was confident the club – not-for-profit community club – would be able to repay the loan from council. It has until 2036 (the term of its lease) to repay the $200,000 in full.
Club president, Claire Murray-Fulton, said the club was expanding beyond golf, with darts, squash and fishing clubs now involved and social membership up 64 per cent in the last 18 months.
Several councillors spoke in support of the club and its role within the community. Cr Mick Fell said it was a “vital part” of the Springwood-Winmalee area.
Cr Mark Greenhill said after the 2013 bushfires the club had applied for and secured a government grant to build a second dam, which will be of benefit in the event of future fires.
Cr Daniel Myles warned that if the club went under, council would be responsible for maintaining the land at some considerable cost. He reminded the meeting that council spends $70,000 a year mowing the old Lawson golf course.
But Cr Schreiber said he was concerned about “council lending $200,000 of ratepayers’ money … to a private organisation”.
He said the club had broken its lease by failing to do the maintenance it was required to do and it was now “coming to us, cap in hand, to bail them out”.
Cr Brendan Christie also had concerns.
“It isn’t our job to hand over money to private enterprise. We’re not a bank, we’re not a credit union, we’re local government.”
Councillors finally voted 10-2 to approve the loan, with councillors Schreiber and Christie opposed.