Dear Members,
We want to provide you with an important update about the future of the Runaway Bay Junior Leagues Club and the Council-owned facility at Morala Avenue.
As many members will be aware, Council has decided not to renew the existing lease and has commenced a process to determine who will hold the new lease over the facility.
The Leagues Club has invested considerable time and resources in preparing its application.
We believe we have a strong case based on our 44-year history at Runaway Bay, our 10,000 members, our strong local membership base and our longstanding financial and practical support of rugby league and the wider community.
A separate submission from the Football Club
We also need to be open with members about an important development.
We understand that the Football Club, together with the Gold Coast Titans, are involved in a separate proposal concerning the future use of the facility.
We respect their right to put forward their own proposal. Our focus is on ensuring members understand what the outcome of the Council process could mean for the Leagues Club and its future at Runaway Bay.
We have also been advised that they will not support the Leagues Club’s application.
We respect their right to put forward their own proposal. However, members need to understand the significance of this.
If the Leagues Club does not secure ongoing tenure at Morala Avenue, it will be required to vacate the premises.
That would mean the loss of the facility from which the Leagues Club has operated for more than four decades, together with the business, employment, member services and community activities currently provided from the site.
This is therefore not simply a disagreement about who should manage the football facilities. The outcome of the Council process will determine whether the Leagues Club is able to continue operating from its longstanding home at Runaway Bay and could have significant consequences for the Club, its employees, members and community activities.
Our commitment to rugby league remains
The Leagues Club remains committed to supporting rugby league at Runaway Bay and to working constructively with the football organisations wherever possible.
We believe there is still an opportunity to build a stronger future for rugby league at the Bay, and we remain willing to play our part in achieving that outcome.
What happens next
Until Council completes its process, there is considerable uncertainty about the future of the facility and, consequently, the future of the Leagues Club at Runaway Bay.
There has also been speculation and misinformation circulating. Most of the rumours being discussed about the Club and the lease process are simply not true.
We do not intend to engage in a public debate or respond to every rumour. The Council process remains ongoing and the Club will continue to respect that process. We will provide members with further factual updates about the Club’s position as and when it is appropriate to do so.
We have also had a number of members ask how they can support the Club.
We appreciate that support enormously.
We encourage members to continue supporting the Club and its activities. Individual members are, of course, free to form and express their own views. If there are appropriate further steps members can take to support the Club, the Board will provide further guidance at the appropriate time.
Our focus
The Board’s responsibility is to act in the best interests of the Club, its members, its employees and the broader community.
We have 10,000 members, many of whom have supported this Club for decades. We have built a strong business, provided employment, supported rugby league and contributed significantly to the local community.
We intend to do everything reasonably possible to protect that legacy and secure a sustainable future for the Runaway Bay Junior Leagues Club.
We will keep members informed as the process develops.