Boaties cry foul on marina seabed levy

Boaties at three Auckland marinas say they are paying an unfair levy for the seabed under their berths.

They want Auckland Regional Council to suspend seabed licence fees until it has a system they believe is fair, reasonable and consistent.

"Tennis courts take up public space yet pay a peppercorn rental while our boaties are forced to pay a commercial rent for a piece of seabed without getting any services in return," said boat owners' spokesman Geoff Burgess.

Boaties made 539 submissions on the ARC draft 10-year plan, and Mr Burgess said they expected fair charging at all Auckland's 18 marinas.

Seabed licence fees were charged at Half Moon Bay, Bucklands Beach and Westpark yet other marinas, such as Westhaven, paid none.

The seabed fee was $1000 a year for Bucklands Beach boaties and about $400 at Westpark.

The three marinas pay seabed licence fees because they were built before the Resource Management Act came in.

Newer marinas instead pay ARC "annual functions, powers and duties" charges, ranging from $112 for a marina berth to $176 for a mooring.

ARC chairman Mike Lee said marina owners were given the option of applying for consents under the Resource Management Act, which would mean they were no longer required to pay seabed licences.

"We acknowledged there were costs in obtaining a resource consent and an ongoing obligation to pay functions, power and duties. However, these charges would be far less than the seabed licences they currently pay."