A Sunshine Coast woman has won a costly Supreme Court battle against the Nambour Bowls Club, which cancelled her membership and then banned her from the premises after a disagreement over recycled coleslaw escalated.

Robyn Perren, 67, had been involved with the club for three years and her husband Neville was the club’s former president and active member for 20 years.

For Mrs Perren, the club was more than just a place to play the game she was so passionate about. She was active in all aspects of the club, including catering and running functions.

“I very much enjoyed playing bowls and I enjoyed the camaraderie with the other members,” she said.

However that started to change when the relationship with some club members soured after a “trivial kitchen disagreement over coleslaw” led to a member filing an official complaint in November 2016.

But it was only this January, some 14 months later, that Mrs Perren decided to take the matter to the Supreme Court after she was banned from even visiting the club she had been so involved with.

“It started when they refused to renew my membership (in February 2017), claiming it was about me not paying my club fees on time,” Mrs Perren said.

“I had to reapply for membership, but the people who complained about me were now the judge and jury as they were on the board.

“Neville was able to get his membership renewed, but I wasn’t.”

Banned from club

Mrs Perren tried to get Bowls Queensland to intervene, but “they told me to go to the police”.

Out of frustration, she joined the Maroochydore Bowls Club and started making a new life there.

She visited the Nambour club as a Maroochydore member in December 2017 and then in January 2018 received a letter from the Nambour club’s lawyer advising she was now banned from the premises.

“It was at this point that I decided I couldn’t sit back and take it any more and sought legal advice,” Mrs Perren said.

Her lawyer told her upfront it would cost “a lot of money”.

“We were prepared to risk it to try and right this wrong,” she said.

Denied natural justice: court

The case was heard in the Brisbane Supreme Court on April 17 but it was this week that Mrs Perren received the phone call she had won.

“My solicitor phoned me on Tuesday to say we had won and costs would be awarded in my favour.” she said.

Her court costs alone have been estimated at over $30,000.

Justice Sue Brown ruled the decision to terminate her membership was “unauthorised by the Constitution” and was void.

She also ruled Mrs Perren was denied “natural justice” in terminating her membership.

“I make a declaration that the decision made by the respondent on 23 February, 2017 to terminate the applicant’s membership of the respondent was unauthorised by the Constitution of the respondent and was void.

“I further declare that the respondent denied the applicant natural justice in determining that it should terminate the applicant’s membership on 23 February, 2017.”

Despite the months of anguish this situation has caused the Perrens, the Sunshine Coast grandmother said she had no plans to sue the club further.

“I never wanted this to go to court. It was never about money. It was about natural justice.”

“Glad we did it’

She has also offered advice to others trapped in a petty battle with a club.

“I’ve spent 28 years working in payroll and I know there are procedures that need to be adhered to and there are repercussions when you think you can step away from grievance acts, policies and legislations.

“It is expensive to go to court as, when you are fighting a club it has to go to the Supreme Court. I’m just glad we did it.

“You have to get your head in a good space and not give up.”

Mrs Perren said club members had been informed the couple would be returning to the green of the Nambour Bowls Club this week.

The couple celebrated their victory with “a bottle of champagne”.

The ABC has approached the bowls club and its lawyer for comment.

–ABC