COVID trips sport clubs Region’s junior teams at risk of folding as participants and funds dry up

THERE are fears for the future viability of several junior regional sports clubs as COVID-19 exacerbates already falling populations, volunteers and participants.

Already, the Herbert River Athletics Club has come to the “heartbreaking” decision to close after more than 50 years, while Herbert River Touch has issued a desperate plea for new committee members “or there will be no touch for juniors or seniors”.

So dire is the situation that Hinchinbrook MP Nick

Dametto fears several sporting clubs in his electorate could collapse if the State Government does not offer a regional support package to help combat the financial impacts of COVID-19.

Mr Dametto said with a smaller revenue base and population compared to those in the southeast, clubs in regional Queensland were struggling to stay afloat.

“With the easing of restrictions under Stage 3, community sport is starting up again but it’s been at a huge cost,” Mr Dametto said.

“There’s a dire lack of funds available to run clubs in the regions due to them missing out on vital income from things like canteen sales and uniforms while the lockdown was under way.

“On top of that, many are dealing with a chronic shortage of volunteers that is making the situation almost untenable for some clubs, which have had little luck in securing funding from the government’s existing Restart package.”

Herbert River Athletics Club spokeswoman Brenda Oates said the club, formed in the late 60s and based at the flood-prone George Day Oval since the mid-70s, was a financially viable club that would have been able to weather COVID-19.

She said the club needed to move from its high-maintenance location to the adjacent Ingham State High School but three applications to the Department of Sport had been knocked back.

The club has a proud history, having hosted two North Queensland Championships, and members who have represented Australia in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

“I am devastated — we are a great little club and, if you’ve seen the photos of the floods, we need to move,” she said.

Ms Oates and Rina Zatta, who share committee, coaching, grounds-keeping and canteen duties between themselves, are Level 2 coaches, while Mr Day is a Level 5.

She said she thought it would be a no-brainer to move to the high school.

Mr Dametto, speaking generally, said better resourced and larger clubs received the “lion’s share of the funds” at the expense of smaller, regional clubs.

“Running costs are always higher in the regions and there is a much smaller revenue base to rely on, which warrants the government to give clubs in this situation special consideration,” he said.

He called on the State Government to provide “urgent, one-off” cash injections to regional sports clubs struggling as a result of COVID-19 in order to “see them through this difficult period”.

“If the financial stress can be eased in the interim, these clubs can get back to running games and raising money in order to rebuild,” he said.