Shire offers Sporties new 21-year lease
Ord River Sports Club has been offered a new 21-year lease by the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, but the not-for-profit club is yet to accept.
Club president Greg Chamberlain said negotiations were still ongoing over details of the lease but he was confident it could be finalised soon.
Sporties has been in a tenancy agreement with the Shire since 2010 when its previous 21-year peppercorn lease expired.
Under the proposed agreement, ORSC would pay $500 plus GST for the next 12 months before an independent valuation will be held to create a new rental fee, set to be reviewed every three years.
Sporties would also face $19,799 in fees to be paid to the Shire in full or through a special payment arrangement not yet negotiated.
Mr Chamberlain said a new lease was an important step towards a secure future for the club, which still needed "maximum community support to survive".
"We have opportunities to apply for grants and improvements (with a lease)," he said.
The committee is planning an overhaul of the popular club, including relocating and upgrading the kitchen, building a sports office and boardroom, beautifying the entrance, creating a signboard for sponsors and improving The Out Back Bar.
