Hmmmm, what would we do without Cam Rose.....

Western Bulldogs days away from the brink and financial ruin
The Herald Sun
Mark Stevens | July 24, 2008

THE State Government has saved the Western Bulldogs from imminent financial disaster. Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose last night revealed a town planning wrangle had threatened to halt the Whitten Oval re-development and bring down the club.

"We were days from the brink and moments from financial ruin," Rose told the Herald Sun.

If the government had not stepped in yesterday to over-rule the City of Maribyrong, the Dogs were facing the grim prospect of being burdened with a half-finished administration building and a $6 million bill.

Rose confirmed the Dogs had only until the end of the month to sort out the dispute before the builders could no continue because of lack of approvals.

As the Dogs racked up wins on-field in recent months, the club was privately fighting a losing battle with the local council, which refused to approve plans for Victoria University to run courses in the re-developed John Gent Stand.

"The screws were tightening as things were going so well on the field," Rose said.

"There would have been a $6 million gap. We couldn't access the money because of contracts in place and we needed that permit."

Rose, on behalf of president David Smorgon, turned to the government as a last resort to save the club.

"The day-to-day business of the Bulldogs is stronger than ever, however this one town planning issue threatened the whole survival of the club," Rose said.

"It needed to be resolved by ther end of the month otherwise we would've been taken to the brink.

"I'm a very relieved chief executive.

"We greatly appreciate the state government's intervention and support.<

"They enacted a special part of the planning act.

"If they didn't intervene, we would have had to get the builder off the site and pay liquidated damages to the builder.

"We signed a contract with the builder. The builder was not going to keep waiting for his money."

The Dogs have the $6 million in funding to complete the administration building, but it was tied up contracturally becuase the club could not gain town planning approval.

The City of Maribyrnong thought the Whitten Oval was unsuitable for Victoria University courses for reasons including a perceived lack of space for up to 150 students.

Now the approval has been gained, the funding can be unlocked and the redevelopment finished.

The delay means there will be a financial impact on the club in slightly increased cost.

"It is another problem I have to fix," Rose said.

The planning schedule is now being revised, but the club is hopeful it will be finished before March next year.

But the ramifications would have been far greater had the problem not be solved.

"We have had builders on site, but they have not been able to walk past a particular point because of a lack of a planning permit," Rose said.

Rose said he had been trying to fix the problem for months.

When the Dogs took on Geelong on Saturday, he was at his desk trying to sort out the mess.</p>

"This was so serious," Rose said.

Relations between the Dogs and the council have been strained for about 18 months.

The council has pledged $1 million towards the $26 million revelopment. It is the only body yet to commit funds, which will be dedicated towards landscaping and site beautification.

"We need to maintain relationships and look at ways of improving relations," Rose said.

"We're not angry or annoyed with the council. It's just unfortunate.

"Everything was fantastic at the club bar this one piece of the jigsaw.

"I want to make it clear that despite this scare, we are travelling very well day to day with membership, jumper sales ... everything."

Apart from Victoria Univeristy "in the workplace, learning courses", the John Gent re-development will include community meeting rooms, club adminstration and the club's hall of fame and "museum to the west", recognising heritage of site.