RSA to sell bigger site

A decision made by members recently has taken the Hibiscus Coast Community RSA down a slightly different path in an attempt to secure its future viability.

The club is struggling to survive and has considered a number of options, including selling land, to provide a much-needed cash injection.

In the lead up to the extraordinary general meeting, held on May 6, Mr Coggan said that “indecision, or no decision, will result in closure –it’s that simple.”

Around 270 members attended the meeting to vote on three propositions. The decisions put before members were: whether to raise a mortgage against the club’s land in Vipond Road; sell off excess land; and demolish the existing clubrooms, after building a new facility on the upper car park.

A 66 percent vote in favour was needed to give the committee a mandate to proceed with any of these options.

President Frank Coggan says the 80 percent vote in favour of all three options was the result the committee was hoping for.

“I am happy that the club has found a way forward,” he says. “The whole committee is delighted, because we all want to see the club survive.”

However, a lot of decisions and details are still to be ironed out. Mr Coggan says the committee is approaching banks about consolidating debt and raising bridging finance until the club can sell some of its 2.8ha site.

How much land may be put up for sale is also unclear – at this stage Mr Coggan says it would include the hillside at 20 Melia Place (which was put on the market a year ago and has failed to sell) and the adjacent bowling green.

He says once a new clubhouse is built, the old one will be demolished and some, or all of that land could also be offered for sale, but those decisions are a long way down the track.

In the meantime, 20 Melia Place will be taken off the market until the RSA can redefine its boundaries and ascertain what it should sell.

Mr Coggan says the committee wants to move as quickly as possible now that members have given a clear direction, but that the process will take time.

“We hope to have a deal going within six months that will pay for the construction of a new building,” he says.