Ettalong Bowling Club proposes merger with Sporties

Ettalong Bowling Club - Image; Tracy Lowden -

Ettalong Memorial Bowling Club has proposed an amalgamation with Woy Woy Bowling Club, in response to a call for expressions of interest by the Sporties’ club.

Ettalong’s merger offer is conditional on trading from the existing Sporties premises ceasing at the time of completion of the amalgamation. All of the Sporties’ “operations” would be relocated to the Ettalong club’s premises. The four-page proposal, signed by Ettalong Memorial Bowling Club Ltd chairperson Mr Robert Henderson and CEO Mr Timothy McGavin stated that the proposal was open to negotiation.

However, some core requirements were made clear from the first page of the club’s four-page offer, including the surrender of the existing Sporties club liquor licence and transfer of poker machine revenue. “We are open to negotiations with the landlord about the possibility of maintaining some smaller registered club operation from the site if some mutually beneficial arrangement can be struck. “We are not in a position to make that a condition of the proposed amalgamation … nor to hold up the proposed amalgamation on that account.”

The merger conditions would appear to result in the current proposal to redevelop the site on the corner of Brick Wharf Rd and North Burge Rd becoming invalid. That is because the seniors housing component of the proposed redevelopment could only go ahead on RE2 zoned land if it were a component of a registered club. The Ettalong club’s proposal said the amalgamation would have to be complete by September 30 “with the total liabilities and provisions of Sporties that we pay out not exceeding $800,000.” Ettalong Bowling Club members will also need to make a small change to their club’s constitution to facilitate the amalgamation. “Approval will be needed from Bowls NSW for the proposed Pennant arrangements,” the document said. All Sporties members would be automatically admitted as members of the Ettalong Bowling Club for their current annual subscription.

“We propose fostering a new and separate Sporites or Woy Woy Bowling Club sub-club and for so long as the new sub-club has a viable number of members [above either 90 or 150] to provide support for it.” That support would include making a green available to facilitate the continuation of the existing Woy Woy bowls calendar without charge. Basic funding for the new sub club would come from allowing it to charge and keep the full amount of each green fee above a minimum of $3.

The transferred members would be given personal lockers, support to enable the sub-club to provide the same internal championships with additional marketing, continuation of Pennants, transfer of life members, preservation of honour boards and historical records, continuation of social events, administrative support and access to bowls professional and State Match committee member Mr John Roberts. Employees of the Ettalong club would not be affected and Sporties employees would be able to apply for any positions available at the time of the merger. Sporties’ current month-to-month tenancy agreement would need to be terminated to take effect at the time of completion of the amalgamation. Gaming machine entitlements would be transferred to the Ettalong club.

SOURCE: Proposal document, 7 Feb 2018 Robert Henderson, Ettalong Memorial Bowling Club Ltd

This article appeared first in Peninsula News 12 Feburary 2018