\nSubstantial maintenance
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Mount Maunganui RSA has about 4000 members and remains one of the larger RSAs in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
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According to Clarke, the Mount RSA had not recorded a profitable year for about a decade.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIf you go back 10 years, the club had well over half a million in the bank,\u201d he said. \u201cFast-forward to today, they\u2019ve got very little in the bank and $350,000 worth of loans.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Clarke said many RSAs had closed in recent years, including in Katikati, as well as \u201csome notable ones in Auckland and Christchurch\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOther ones have been forced to merge with other clubs,\u201d Clarke said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cClubs that are struggling financially have had little money to put into welfare. If you go back 30 years, they had tens of thousands to put into veteran support, but with the financial situation of most clubs, it\u2019s now a trickle.\u201d<\/p>\n
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He said the club building, which dates back to the 1960s, also requires substantial maintenance.<\/p>\n
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Mount Maunganui RSA’s special meeting of members on March 30 would see members consider several options for the association. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n
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\u201cOne side of the building is actually sinking, and you can feel it when you\u2019re walking downhill through the west wing,\u201d Clarke said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe roof needs hundreds of thousands spent on it to fix it. And there is a whole list of urgent maintenance ranging from electrical work to equipment upgrades.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cTauranga RSA came to the conclusion that sinking a large sum into the building to renovate it and supporting a loss-making business wasn\u2019t the best use of their money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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At a recent meeting, members discussed possible options for the club\u2019s future, with further discussions scheduled for March 30.<\/p>\n
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\nOptions
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One possibility being explored is a potential merger with Club Mount near Blake Park.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re in discussions with them at the moment,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cThere are a number of different variations of how that could work.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Another option could involve redeveloping the Mount RSA site with a developer, potentially building a smaller RSA facility as part of a larger development.<\/p>\n
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Clarke said the Mount RSA occupies one of the last large commercial sites in Mount Maunganui, and the land has strong development interest.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere aren\u2019t many large main road commercial sites left on the Mount peninsula,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty much our place or nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Any major decision will ultimately be up to members.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAll of the options are still being worked through,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cThey\u2019ll be presented in full to members and then they will decide the future direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nSignificant changes
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Tauranga RSA, which has about 1000 members, had undergone significant changes over the years.<\/p>\n
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