CLONCURRY Golf and Sports Club president Dan Brooks said the sporting group will need to put together its plan of operations for the shire council.
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Work that is needed to get the grounds usable for golf again include the demolishing of the old clubhouse, the removal of a steel bridge, construction of crossings, earthworks, and grading of fairways.
The shire council opted for the club to submit the plan of operations by late September.
“Two months is a somewhat ambitious timeline for this type of document as there is risk of slippage if the in-kind support falls through and we have to revisit our strategy,” Mr Brooks said.
“Having said that, we remain confident that we can deliver enough detail within the timeframe for council to accept our proposal.”
Mr Brooks said the main part of the plan would be to determine what sort of in-kind support the club can receive from local businesses, volunteers and the council to restore the grounds.
The club opened in 1928 but social golf was last played on the grounds in 2010. The lease was handed to the council in November 2010 after it went into care and maintenance. This was due to declining membership and an increased burden on remaining caretakers, according to the restart proposal. In the past two years the land has been leased for horse grazing.
The sporting group reformed in April. The club’s president said the committee aimed to have the course running but at a reduced capacity to between two and three days a week.
We remain confident that we can deliver enough detail within the timeframe for council to accept our proposal."
- Club president Dan Brooks
They wanted this to happen within six months of the project being approved.
“In terms of resources we are asking council to assist us by providing labour and equipment to clean up the site so that works can commence as well as local businesses with earthmoving gear and civil consumables to jump on board and help out with the course works.”
The sporting group submitted a tender proposal to council on July 6, the club president said. Committee representatives also met with council to discuss the proposal further last Tuesday.
The restart proposal contained 30 pages which outlines the summary and explains that the current membership base of the club is 30 members. It lists what is needed to restore the club.
It explained the work that was needed including the demolishing of the old clubhouse.
Cloncurry mayor Greg Campbell said there was no money formally allocated in the council budget towards capital works at the golf club. “Around supporting in-kind support until we can find some money to support them if need be, we’re willing to do that...we can’t physically do it all. The community has to want to drive things themselves, and the committee that’s together for the golf club looks like they have a pretty good shot at doing that.”