Club fishing contest 'unaffected' by cuts

The premier event on the Manawatu Marine Boating Club's calendar, an Easter fishing tournament, will not be affected by staff cuts, a club spokesman says.

The fishing contest is expected to draw 500 entrants in Foxton, making the bar and kitchen particularly busy at a time when the club is changing significantly.

Larry Ellison, an executive member involved in a broad review that led to a staff restructure including manager Allan Wakeling losing his job, said the event would be unaffected.

He indicated paid employees would have "an awful lot of help from volunteers".

Sources close to the boating club have told the Manawatu Standard that members were upset about the staffing changes, which cut back paid roles and placed a greater emphasis on volunteers.

"We haven't been given a chance to come up with any options," said one member, who did not want her name published. "We are disgusted with the executive of the boating club, with the way they have made the staff walk the plank."

Mr Ellison said the profitability of the club had declined and the club executive had been proactive about remedying that.

Members were canvassed for their views on the club's future as part of the review. "The executive is elected to make decisions. The executive made decisions," he said.

Other proposed changes, such as creating a downstairs bar, would go back to the members.

Mr Wakeling, who had managed the club for 13 years, declined to talk to the Standard about his job loss, but another person gave the newspaper a copy of his submission against the changes.

In it, Mr Wakeling contested the executive's argument that the club's profitability had declined.

He also indicated leave accumulated by him over several years provided a misleading impression in the club's accounts.

Kitchen and bar profits were lower than expected, but they weren't running at a loss, he said.

Mr Ellison said Palmerston North and Foxton businesses had contributed about $25,000 in sponsorship for the fishing contest. A sailing regatta next weekend would attract up to 100 sailors.

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