Merger on clubs' meeting agenda

The National Service Club finds itself at the centre of new merger talks. Photo / Paul Taylor

The members of two groups - one made up of city councillors and one made up of club members - are set to determine the direction Hastings takes when it comes to the future of its service clubs and associations.

The outcome will decide whether it will be one central club - comprising the Hastings RSA, The Heretaunga Club, the Hibernian Club and the National Service Club, or two clubs.

At this stage the situation is that of two clubs, with the National Service Club set to stage a special meeting on Sunday to discuss a potential merger with the other three which have already come together.

The meeting will also involve updates of earthquake engineering reports which show the club's Market St North building came in at less than 34 per cent of new building code standards.

Faced with possible big bills for strengthening and refurbishing, the club's management approached the Hastings District Council to see it they could assist, with Mayor Lawrence Yule saying a major part of that question could be resolved if the club were to strongly look at merging with the other three and under one single roof.

The council will be discussing the issue at a special meeting on Wednesday.

"It will be to establish whether the council is prepared to be involved in trying to facilitate this merger and to work out if we can assist," Mr Yule said.

"There are a lot of moving parts here - it is a process."

There had been merger moves in the past, however, with approaches between the Hastings RSA and the National Service Club being made, but later rejected, in 2007.

The issue again came under consideration earlier this year but the RSA withdrew after the Heretaunga Club had agreed to amalgamate with them, and that a planned new larger building to accommodate a greatly increased membership would be built on the club's old Victoria St site.

The Hastings RSA had previously amalgamated with the Hibernian Club and effectively has to be out of its present site by March 31 next year.

Its chief executive, Neil Murphy, said on that note, time was not their friend.

"But it is too early to say how it is all going to go, and there is too much speculation," he said.

"I can't tell you what's happening - we will just have to wait and see and the first step will be what comes out of that council meeting."

In terms of land size, the Hastings Service Club had the most potential for hosting an amalgamation of clubs.

If all four joined together to create one club, the membership would be just over 5000.

Mayor Yule said amalgamation of a city's clubs had proved successful elsewhere - citing Blenheim where the local RSA merged with other service clubs into one club, which was thriving. He did have some concerns the site the RSA was looking to develop was on the edge of town, while the National Service Club's site was central.

Mr Murphy said there was strength in combining, as while many service clubs across the country were asset-rich, they were cash-flow poor.

National Service Club president Clarence Hermon said he preferred not to comment at this stage, as "the members have to hear from us first". The members would look at the earthquake issues as well.

He said the start of any process would be driven by the council's participation, but added "no matter what, there will be a club".