Lifeline needed before it is game over for struggling clubs

Unless sport groups get urgent help from Brisbane City Council Labor councillors say it will be game over for many clubs.

Sports clubs like the Morningside Panthers are struggling to survive. Picture: Richard Walker

PRESSURE is mounting on Brisbane City Council to urgently help struggling community clubs, with fears the Covid-19 pandemic will force hundreds to the wall.

Labor’s Community spokeswoman Kara Cook said an immediate rescue package was needed to help Brisbane’s sporting and community clubs struggling to pay their bills.

“The money has stopped coming in but the bills haven’t. Unless they get some urgent help it will be game over for many small clubs,” Cr Cook says.

“Money is always tight and they run close to the bone at the best of times. Now they’ve lost critical revenue. It is at the emergency stage.

“They need help now as part of the Covid-19 recovery phase so our communities remain strong.”

In March Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced a $7.9 million business relief package with a range of council fees and charges for businesses and lessees waived for at least three months.

Cr Cook says cash-strapped clubs are going into debt to meet ongoing expenses like, water, electricity, maintenance insurance and rates.

To compound their problems, many local business that sponsor clubs are also in financial difficulty, cutting another source of revenue.

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Cr Cook made the call for a rescue package at the home grounds of the Morningside Panthers this morning alongside club officials from the Panthers and Bulimba Memorial Bowls and Community Club.

She said a rescue package for the 600 clubs and organisations on council leases was an investment in Brisbane’s long-term future.

“These clubs are a hub for tens of thousands of residents who use them for sport, recreation and social activities.

Cr Kara Cook says several organisations in her Morningside ward were facing significant financial difficulties and possible closure from the Covid-19 crisis. Picture: Brian Bennion

“They are also a significant source of employment and the heart and soul of our local communities.”

Cr Cook said she knew of several organisations in her Morningside ward that were facing significant financial difficulties and possible closure from the Covid-19 crisis.

“It’s a situation that is replicated right across Brisbane and hundreds of clubs are teetering on the brink,” she said.

“As a community, we need to ensure these clubs are able to survive and thrive. The benefits are there for all of us.”

Cr Cook has launched a petition calling on the council to take immediate action which attracted more than 250 signatories in the first 24 hours of launching.