Lease of new life at ground

MUDGEERABA have shelved plans to move their Rugby League Gold Coast club after getting confirmation that they will reclaim the lease of their Firth Park premises.

The Redbacks had been plotting a move down the road to a vacant 54ha site behind the Mudgeeraba Bowls Club to help give them the financial platform to push for a senior A-grade team.

The Firth Park lease has belonged to the Burleigh Bears – and will continue to do so until June 30 – before the Mudgeeraba rugby league club and netball club take dual ownership of it.

“July 1 we will be back into our own space and as our own club for the first time in 10 years,” Redbacks president Alec Betham said.

“Heaps of thanks to Burleigh for looking after the complex but we are finally able to stand on our own two feet now which is a major blessing.”

One factor that remains up for discussion is how the on-site rental income will be managed, with tenants there including Rugby League Gold Coast.

“All we know at this stage is come July 1, netball will be able to maintain their side of the complex, we’ll maintain our side and (council) will sort out rental income stuff later on,” Betham said.

To not have to physically move location is a major logistical win for the club.

“That’s everyone’s home and that’s what everyone

knows so to be able to stay there and evolve the club and make the changes that we want will be good,” Betham said.

Financial constraints have been a limiting factor for Mudgeeraba’s A-grade ambitions, given they didn’t earn bar profits and were unable to take match-day gate receipts due to the open layout of the complex.

The first part of that problem will soon be resolved and Betham and his club are working hard on the second part.

“We will be able to manage that ourselves.” he said.

“What we have done is we have gone and purchased a whole lot of temporary fencing to fence the ground during home games for seniors and we have come up with a plan on how to do that.

“So basically we’ll get our first run of it and if it works, it works; if it doesn’t, we’ll try something else. We’ll make it work.”

Mudgeeraba, the reigning Doug Lipp Cup premiers, have a 1-1 record from the opening two rounds of the 2019 reserve grade season.