The Canberra Services Club has warned a move to the ACT Rugby Union Club would only be temporary and the ACT government must resolve the Manuka land swap dilemma.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The services club, which has been homeless since a fire ripped through its Manuka Oval premises in 2011, remains frustrated by years of delays that threaten their membership base.
Last month, ACT Rugby Union Club board accepted an offer from the Canberra Services Club to buy its Barton premises for an undisclosed figure.
Canberra Services Club vice-president Ray Dawson said the club had made few media comments in recent years, but wanted to stress to purchase of the RUC was only a contingency measure.
"The land swap agreement has not been without expense to the club, particularly with the latest delays, as we have been left in limbo with no premises when we could have rebuilt on the old Manuka site some time ago," he said.
"With indications of further delays, we have been looking more specifically at what temporary accommodation is available and hence our discussion with the RUC at Barton."
The sale of the Blackall Street site, which requires approval from RUC members at a meeting on September 29, further complicates the controversial Manuka land swap plan engineered by Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
According to the plan, the Canberra Services Club was to develop new premises in Manuka with Defence Housing Australia.
The Manuka site is occupied by the Manuka Occasional Childcare Centre which the government is proposing to move to a new building near the Griffith shops, after abandoning plans for a move to the Telopea Park School tennis courts.
Mr Dawson said the RUC site was far from ideal with limited catering and function facilities and was not a long-term solution.
"We have always viewed that type of premise as purely temporary accommodation and it would never meet our long term of what we want as a club and what we want to provide to our members and the community," Mr Dawson said.
"If the acquisition goes ahead, it is anything but a permanent answer to the services club needs."
RUC members have been told that contracts have been exchanged and a deposit paid, but are also being given "the opportunity to approve the offer" at the special general meeting.
Planning approval is needed to transfer the lease, and the club says ministerial approval is needed "to extend consent for lease variation charge concession" to the services club.
The RUC told members that its Barton site had existed as a break-even operation for about a decade with very few surpluses available for use in new development.
It amalgamated with Canberra North Bowling Club in November and changed its name to the Canberra North Bowling and ACT Rugby Union Club.
Mr Dawson said the club's homelessness made it difficult to attract new people and could result in a generational gap among members.
"At the moment we have approximately 7000 members on our books but we are conscious that as time passes, the pressure increases for us to provide them with a facility," he said.
The RUC board strongly recommended the sale of the Barton site as "the only viable solution to ensure the future of the RUC", members have been told.
"The offer accepted by the board far exceeds any offer previously received."
