Review kills job of boat club manager

The manager of a Foxton-based boating club will lose his job as the organisation restructures its staff after a sweeping review.

Allan Wakeling, full-time manager of the Manawatu Marine Boating Club, will have his position disestablished. There will instead be a paid administrative role for eight hours a week.

Several part-time kitchen and bar staff members will also be out of work or will have to reapply for fewer positions.

The changes come as the club trims costs.

About eight workers were told of the employment changes at a meeting last night.

The restructure follows a wide-ranging review by the club's executive, which found changes were needed to make the club financially sustainable.

The club, set up in 1966, has about 650 members.

Yesterday, members had not yet been informed of the outcomes of the review, but the executive's proposal was obtained by the Manawatu Standard.

Club commodore John Story would not comment yesterday before staff had been informed of the committee's decisions.

The review found that the club's wages bill was clearly a factor "in the demise of the profitability of the club".

The review committee said the club needed to get back to a community focus and encourage voluntary input so that members felt part of it. "The review committee felt it was important to return back to basics and actively encourage working bees, voluntary labour and a team approach to the club," the review document said.

There was concern that the club relied too much on one person carrying out various roles.

According to the club's audited accounts, the club made a $1602 deficit in 2009, after a $25,494 surplus in 2008.

Bar sales increased from $156,349 to $164,837, but meal sales declined from $135,328 to $124,015.

The review also commented that a food premises inspector for Horowhenua District Council was delayed by a day in carrying out an impromptu inspection at the club because he could not initially get in.

"The acting manager and an executive member were able to ascertain the purpose of his visit and arranged an extraordinary clean of the kitchen.

"It was evident that if we had a true, unannounced impromptu inspection, we would not have achieved an A rating for the premises."

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