Mackay club takes out multiple Clubs Queensland awards

Harrup Park Country Club has capped a stellar 12-month stretch at the Keno & Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence.

Harrup Park Country Club CEO Matt Cielens (left) with general manager Adrian Young.

HARRUP Park Country Club has capped a stellar 12-month stretch by topping two categories at the Keno & Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence.

Chief executive Matt Cielens claimed the honour of Manager of the Year, while the club’s Boundary Cafe was recognised as the benchmark in the Best Dining category.

Functions manager Ellie Madam finished third in the Young Manager of the Year category and the club was a finalist in Best Sporting Club.

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Boundary Cafe drew high praise from the anonymous site inspection judge.

“We spent a considerable amount of money putting the Cafe together 12 months ago and we’re starting to see the effects of that with people attending,” Mr Cielens said.

“The staff have always been fantastic, but they’ve taken it to another level.

“It’s now a great destination for people to also sit and watch live sport from inside the venue.”

Harrup Park Country Club chief executive Matt Cielens (right) won Manager of the Year. Picture: Emma Murray

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Harrup Park’s commitment to sports participation at a grassroots, representative and professional level, played a key role in its award-winning success.

The club hosts Aussie rules and cricket fixtures year-round, is a regular venue for state and national representative carnivals, and has played host to the Women’s Big Bash League and AFLW in recent years.

“Having two of the largest domestic WBBL crowds in Australia was enormous for a regional centre like Mackay. And the AFLW content within the facility (was important) too,” Mr Cielens said.

The Gold Coast Suns AFLW team with a group of juniors who participated in a training session at Harrup Park. Picture: Tony Martin

“It obviously helps drive female participation in cricket and AFL, which we see as very important.”

Mr Cielens said the personal accolade was testament to the hard-working team members at HPCC, who he praised for their commitment to the cause, particularly in recent months.

“It’s been challenging for everyone, not just in the clubs sector. It’s not just us as a business it’s our staff, our staff’s families and the clubs that use our sports facilities,” he said.

“It has been challenging but I think the governance put in place by our board over the past few years as helped insulate us from that a bit.

Harrup Park Country Club CEO Matt Cielens hopes the next 12 months will bring positive news for the Great Barrier Reef Arena project. Picture: COX Architecture – Digital Images

The GM said the club’s focus for the next 12 months would be a return to “business as usual” trading activity and pushing to make its Great Barrier Reef Arena project a reality.

The club has locked in Federal Government funding, but is still waiting on a State Government contribution before the project can proceed.

“There will be a lot of satisfaction when that project is realised,” Mr Cielens said.

“That’s something all of us are looking forward to and making sure that happens.”

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