It appears the City of Newcastle is at odds with the operator of Beresfield Golf Course.
On Friday morning, the council released a statement saying it had been advised by the operator, Avana Pty Ltd, that they intend to abandon their lease of the council-owned facility on August 31. The council says the operator also contacted them in June, requesting an early exit from it.
It’s reported that Avana had also written to the members of the Viney Cree Golf Club to advise them of their decision to abandon the lease.
The council says the operator is two years into a five year agreement, and cited financial strain and unprecedented weather conditions as its reason for wanting to exit. Legal action was also floated in the statement for recovery of damages resulting from the default.
In a quick turn of events, Avana released a statement on social media on Friday afternoon, vowing to keep trading.
“We will hope that the current financial strain on the business does not lead to bankruptcy.
“We will continue to work with NCC and hope they fix all the structural damage to the course as per the lease agreement,” The statement said.
Image: Beresfield Golf Club.