Unsecured creditors of a failed Belair golf course and function centre are unlikely to receive a dividend

THE State Government is unlikely to recover any of the $150,000 owed to it by the Belair National Park Golf Course, to which it provided two years of free rent in the lead up to the company’s demise.

• Belair Park Country Club put in administration
• Wedding venues, suppliers aid couples
• Blackwood, Stirling golf clubs aid golfers

ENGAGED couples will likely lose their deposits for weddings booked at the embattled Belair Park Country Club and golf course, as it was revealed its owners have debts exceeding $2.1 million.

At the first meetings of creditors today, unsecured creditors of the golf course and associated Belair Park Country Club were told a dividend was unlikely to be paid back to them following a probable liquidation process.

The two companies fell into the hands of administrators on January 16, owing 50 unsecured creditors, including the State Government, about $735,000.

The State Government is unlikely to recover any of the $165,000 owed to it by the Belair National Park Golf Course, to which it provided two years of free rent in the lead up to the company’s demise.

Another $25,000 is owed to individuals who had booked functions at the venue, including around 20 couples who were planning to celebrate their weddings there.

Simon Miller, from administrator Clifton Hall, said it was likely the companies would be put into liquidation at the second meeting of creditors next month.

“Certainly there will be some money available for the secured creditors and for the employees ... but unfortunately for other unsecured creditors and parties who have paid deposits it’s unlikely there’ll be any return to them,” he said following today’s meetings.

Belair Park Golf Club members Rod Kllimionok, Colin Luscombe and Paul Luscombe. Picture: Tom Huntley

Mr Miller said dwindling golf course membership and high costs of running the function centre were two major contributors to the companies’ downfall.

Scott Mason, who had planned to wed his partner Annie Kleinig at Belair in March, left today’s meeting expecting to lose his $1500 deposit.

“The big boys will get their money first, the banks and so forth ... us at the other end probably won’t see a cent,” he said.

“We’ve been lucky ... we’ve been able to secure another location at Mt Osmond golf club for the same date, same time.”

A detailed report into the companies’ demise will be sent to creditors in two to three weeks, Mr Miller said, before a second meeting to formalise a liquidation process.

That will involve a sale of the companies’ assets and repayment to secured and then unsecured creditors.

Financier ANZ and employees are first on the pecking order, and are together owed about $1.4 million.

Mr Miller said the administrators had sought to sell the businesses as part of the administration process, but that “the trading position just wasn’t viable”.

Unsecured creditors of Belair Park Country Club and associated golf course are unlikely to receive a dividend.

Attention will now be turned to finding an operator to take over the site after finalising three weddings to be held at the venue next month.

“It’s really with the support of the government and the bank to allow access to the premises and that the bank is prepared to provide funding to see those (weddings) through,” Mr Miller said.

“They’re (State Government) certainly co-operating and assisting us in the short term to see this period through with the functions and then they will make decisions in terms of the site after that.”

“We’ve had a number of parties who’ve actually come to us and wanted to look to either operate the golf course or the function centre ... ultimately there may be that something can be resurrected down the track.”