Town works to preserve bowling and tennis club

The Town of Port Hedland will work closely with the South Hedland Bowling and Tennis Club to ensure the club doesn’t shut down.

Committee members and Town staff met last week to discuss the future of the club after reports by theNorth West Telegraph that it would potentially shut down this month because of ongoing financial hardship.

Acting chief executive Chris Linnell said the Town had discussed options available to help them, which included developing new programs, initiatives and activities to increase membership.

Mr Linnell said the Town was also committed to helping the club meet its repayments to the $500,000 loan from the Town for upgrades which were made to the club two years ago.

“The Town received correspondence from the club requesting to alter the loan repayment schedule and an item will be presented to council at the July Ordinary Council Meeting to consider a number of options to help,” he said. “The club also received a report of a recent review by the Department of Sport and Recreation, with recommendations on how to improve their operations, finances and governance structure.

“The Town will work with them throughout the year to help implement these recommendations.”

Club president Mark Wain-wright said recently the club was in dire straits, adding it could potentially become a white elephant if it was shut down.

“It’s just financial, (it’s a) lack of commitment, people’s work — they don’t wanna spend the money no more... the Hedland Liquor Accord, you know liquor licensing has got a big part to play as well, ” Mr Wainwright said.

Mr Linnell said closure of the South Hedland Bowling and Tennis Club, which had been a long-standing establishment in the Town of Port Hedland, was not an outcome the Town supported and it would be a great loss to the community.

The club facility was opened only two years ago after a $4 million development and relocation.