Cyprus Community Club of NSW has temporarily relocated to The Lakemba Club in Lakemba, after the doors to the organisation’s Stanmore property shut at the end of August.
The Inner West Council issued a fire safety order for the site, which was deemed no longer fit to remain in operation without significant repairs and upgrades.
The Lakemba Club, which is owned and operated by Canterbury League Club, will now host Cypriot dance classes and language school, while further language classes will run through the NSW School of Languages in Petersham. An events calendar is also being prepared for the next 12 months.
In a letter to members, Canterbury Leagues Club chairman Peter Winchester said: “We are confident that this partnership will not only provide a supportive space in the short term but also foster new friendships and strengthen ties between our two great communities.”
The relocation comes after years of internal disputes and leadership changes that have divided the Cypriot community and led to multiple proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court. Differences over the club’s future, its property portfolio and governance issues saw the club’s debt climb from $12 million to more than $20 million within a year.
As a result, Ernst & Young (EY) was appointed voluntary administrators of the club in late 2024. However, the administrators were challenged by Cyprus Capital, a separate, member-owned entity that was set up to raise capital for the community, and Dr Con Costa, a creditor and member of the club and director Cyprus Capital. The NSW supreme court, however, confirmed in February 2025 the validity of the administrators.
Meanwhile, the club’s financial restructuring remains entangled in parallel legal disputes with Cyprus Capital.
Other internal disputes centred on a redevelopment proposal from developer Platino, which EY chose not to proceed with after noting that certain individuals connected to the club, including a former president, could have benefited financially from the deal.
After assessing seven commercial offers, EY confirmed a $55 million sale agreement of the club’s Stanmore property with developer Conquest. The deal has been controversial, with some members opposing the sale on the basis they were not given a vote. Under the Corporations Act, EY was able to proceed with the transaction without member approval, overriding provisions of the Registered Clubs Act.
The sale was challenged in the Supreme Court by a group of members, but the court ultimately ruled in favour of EY. So far, there are no signs of an appeal. Settlement is expected by mid-2026, with profits expected to be placed in trust.
Speaking with Club Management, club secretary Kyriakos Panayi said discussions with government and council are ongoing about long-term options for the club. While it’s still early days, he proposes a Cyprus Community Centre of Excellence be established that will incorporate a clubhouse, men’s shed, communal garden, barbecue area, Anzac memorial, and a small war memorial church, which would be operated under a trust structure.
“It’ll be set up as a trust, in conjunction with council. It’d be the first of its type done on a cultural basis, rather than a sporting club,” he said.
“The benefit is there are a lot of people that want to donate … but they need to be sure that the money will be used as intended and, so via a trust, they can instruct a trustee … to dedicate the money to their chosen cause.”