Tax bill threatens Fini club

The Finucane Island Sports and Recreation Club faces closure if it cannot find nearly $500,000 of debt owed to the Australian Taxation Office.

Club manager Tom Keefe called a sombre committee meeting last Tuesday to discuss the financials of the club and call for support from the community to help pay down the debt.

Mr Keefe said he started noticing something was wrong a couple of months ago and asked Strategic Management and Consulting Services accountant Natalie Mills to go over the books and work out what needed to be done.

Ms Mills said from her investigations it was not possible to determine who was at fault.

"It's approximately $450,000 combined debt," she said.

"There are some variables in regards to unpaid superannuation, interest charges and other penalties the ATO will impose.

"I've reviewed the financials … and can identify debts attributable to the current position as early as 2009."

The year in which the financial troubles started coincided with when Mr Keefe took over the role as club manager.

He said responsibility for the situation rested with him and if people wanted "heads to roll", it should be his.

But the committee and members of the community resisted that call at last Tuesday's meeting and rallied around Mr Keefe.

However, former club manager of four years Vicki Davies said simple things such as tax and superannuation should have been taken care of properly before other expenditures were made.

"I hope the committee can get it back up and running again because it's a great little club," she said.

Town of Port Hedland Mayor Kelly Howlett attended Tuesday's meeting and said the Town was sorry to hear about the club's position. "I know it's a popular clubhouse for our community and certainly karaoke on a Thursday night is a lot of fun," she said.

"Given the substantial support (for) the club, we are confident the Fini will work its way through this current issue and come out in a stronger position in the future."

Ms Howlett said council officers would be in touch with the club to discuss grant assistance.

The club was built by BHP Billiton, which holds a caveat over the premises, and is leased from the Town of Port Hedland.