Mike Perreau, Taradale RSA President, said he was disappointed with some of the behaviour from club members during Sunday's meeting. Photo / Paul Taylor
Mike Perreau, Taradale RSA President, said he was disappointed with some of the behaviour from club members during Sunday's meeting. Photo / Paul Taylor
The Taradale RSA and the Taradale Club will not be combining after RSA members voted against going ahead with a potential merger its own committee had initiated.
Current and former presidents of Taradale RSA, Mike Perreau and Peter Grant met Taradale Club chairman Lloyd Fitness this morning to inform him merger talks were off.
Perreau said an RSA meeting on Sunday had been highly emotive, and he was disappointed with "orchestrated raucous behaviour," from some members of the club.
Late last year, the RSA had initiated discussions over a potential merger with the Taradale Club, to secure the future of both clubs.
However, a December 16 RSA meeting to consider the idea had become "highly charged" and the vote was put off until Sunday to give members more time to consider the idea.
Taradale Club met in December and voted unanimously to work towards the merger.
Perreau said key issues were not addressed at Sunday's meeting, which had sought to undertake due diligence on the partnership and look at its feasibility, before a final decision was made.
Taradale Club chairman Lloyd Fitness said he was disappointed to hear of the RSA's decision.
"We had entered into discussions as both clubs' committees had earlier agreed that our community could not sustain two viable clubs into the longer term future."
"A real opportunity existed for the two clubs to pool their respective resources and create a vibrant, well performed club to serve our community for many years to come."
He said he was concerned about his club's viability in the long term, however, he had seen good growth over the last six months.
Taradale Club chairman, Lloyd Fitness (left), with Andre Beneke. The club is disappointed with the RSA's decision not to merge. Photo / Paul Taylor
"We've been trading very satisfactorily over the last months, and even into this month it's looking likely we've turned the club around in terms of the membership growth, the bookings of the function venue, and even patronage by own members."
He said the club was asset rich and cash poor, but due to the recent growth he did not foresee the club having to sell assets to survive.
He said from talking to RSA members, he understood some of them were concerned about the Taradale Club's location on Wharerangi Rd, which would have been where the new club was located if the merger had gone ahead.
He said there was huge growth happening in the area, including a new housing development across the road which would have close to 200 houses, and another 800-section housing development in the area.
"There's going to be a huge amount of growth right on our doorstep."
