Club Mudgee management has confirmed that the Mudgee Bowling Club will close.
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Club Mudgee CEO Maureen Hutchison and board chairman Bill Crossingham said the decision followed substantial losses by the Mudgee Bowling Club.
The Mudgee Bowling Club and the Mudgee Soldiers’ Bowling Club merged four and a half years ago under the banner of Club Mudgee.
“The board are committed to retaining the game of bowls in Mudgee”
- Bill Crossingham
“We are now in the fifth year of the memorandum of understanding and the bowling club continues to trade substantial losses and if independently run would be classed as trading insolvent under ASIC requirements,” Mrs Hutchison said.
“The bowling club continues to drain the main club’s cash flow, adding pressure to the everyday running of both sites.”
Mrs Hutchison said the number of bowlers using the club was stable and the ladies’ and men’s bowling committees had worked extremely hard over the past four years to grow their bowling membership.
“Club Mudgee has spent a lot of money on the bowling club premises over the past four years and has continually advertised the club’s facilities in an endeavour to make it financially sustainable,” she said.
“It’s unfortunate that the general public, in particular non-bowling members, did not patronise the club on a regular basis and therefore the trading turnover has continued to decline.”
Mr Crossingham said the board’s decision last Tuesday night followed many months of consideration and was not made lightly or suddenly.
“The board are committed to retaining the game of bowls in Mudgee,” Mr Crossingham said.
“This is important not only for local sportsmanship but also the bowls district and zone and opportunities to play at state level.”
A date has not been set for the closure of the Mudgee Bowling Club and no decision has been made about the future of the club premises.
“The club’s main focus is a smooth transition for the relocation of bowls to Club Mudgee,” Mr Crossingham said.
A working committee will be formed to assist in the transition, consisting of three board members and the CEO, and two elected committee members each from the ladies’ and men’s committees.
Once bowling greens at Club Mudgee are ready to play on, the bowling club will cease trading as a registered club.
Club management stressed that a key factor in the relocation was to have no interruption to bowling programs.
As the Club Mudgee green will require renovation, and it is now out-of-season for establishing new grass, it is unlikely that the green will be ready for play until early 2015.
A notice will be sent to the Club Mudgee’s 6000 members inviting them to attend an information evening on a date to be advised.
The Mudgee Bowls Club has four permanent staff - two greenkeepers, a supervisor and a cleaner.
The greenkeepers will transfer to Club Mudgee.
Mrs Hutchison said the club would continue discussions with the employees.
A number of other staff who work between the two clubs.
The Mudgee Bowling Club caterers and staff will also be affected by the closure.