FORMER members of the Brighton-Le-Sands Fishos Club have expressed dismay after Rockdale Council did not invite the group to submit a tender for the club site.
About 300 former Fishos members re-formed as the Muddy Creek Boating and Fishing Association after their old club closed in controversial circumstances last February.
Rockdale Council called for expressions of interest in the site last October, after seizing control of the club in March 2012.
Eleven clubs and other organisations submitted applications to redevelop the waterfront site as part of the two-stage tender process, but Rockdale Council will not divulge which organisations made it into the second round, with a spokesman telling the Leader such information was commercial in confidence.
Muddy Creek Boating and Fishing Association spokesman Roger Brown said his group was concerned their 50-year association with the site might come to end.
The group wants to retain amateur fishing and boating activities at the site, and lodged an application to retain the use of a section of the site, including the boat slipways.
Mr Brown said his organisation was desperate to contact the organisations which were invited to submit a full tender to the council to see if they were interested in maintaining the amateur fishing club on the site, but it couldn’t as the council would not tell it who the successful applicants were.
‘‘We believe that the council do not see a future for providing an amenity for the low income section of the community, nor do they want the slipping facilities to remain,’’ Mr Brown said.
He said the group was contemplating legal action against the council.
A Rockdale Council spokesman confirmed Muddy Creek Boating and Fishing Association was not invited to submit a full tender, but said that the interests of the group were incorporated into the criteria for expressions of interest.
One of the criteria states proposals must take into account ‘‘accommodating the Navy Cadets and the existing boating members’ new association’’, the spokesman said.
However, this would be further assessed.
He also noted that ‘‘longer term use of this site by the boating members and the naval cadets will be assessed as part of the Select Tender process and will be reported to council for consideration as part of the whole tender analysis’.
He said the Muddy Creek Boating and Fishing Association was sent a letter on December 18 explaining why it was not invited to the next stage of the tender process.
COUNCIL’S STANCE
Rockdale Council seized control of the Fishos Club in March 2012 claiming the financial controller appointed by lender Carrington National to administer the club in February could not guarantee back and ongoing rental payments to the council.
Permissible uses of the land under the zoning include community or environmental activities, recreational areas and indoor and outdoor recreation activities.
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See related stories: http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1176452/fishermen-fight-to-save-club-history/
