At least six local community clubs could be forced to shut their doors as a direct result of anti-smoking laws and the tax on gambling profits, Souths Juniors presient Keith McCraw said. The NSW clubs industry has continued to do it tough as a result of anti-smoking laws and taxes on gambling profits, with many of the smaller clubs being forced to close or amalgamate to stay afloat.

Revenues raised by NSW clubs dropped 10 per cent between March 2007 and March 2008, leaving industry figures anxiously awaiting the end of the profit freefall, Clubs NSW chief executive David Costello said.

Mr McCraw, president of the south-east's largest club, said at least six local clubs were facing closure. "There are a lot of clubs that do good community work that aren't going to survive," he said. Mr McCraw said the Juniors had been approached by "no less than 10 clubs" to consider amalgamating. However, he would not comment on rumours Juniors was negotiating an amalgamation with Maroubra RSL to create a secondary leagues club called "Juniors at the Junction". Mr Costello said even the bigger clubs were now floundering financially. He said that more than 50 NSW clubs had amalgamated in the past 10 years.

"Everyone is talking about when clubs are going to bottom out," he said. "In Victoria and Queensland, eventually they did have a bottom and then revenues grew again. We are still waiting for our bottom."

Nick Moncrieff-Hill (Southern Courier 20.05.2008)