Fee hike will hurt patrons

Sidewalk dining is an expected perk to city life. Photo / Chris Skelton

It's an Auckland institution: Eating, drinking, and being seen on Ponsonby Rd's cafe strip.

But the city council is about to draw the line - literally.

Pavement diners could be hit in the pocket by a proposal to make cafes and restaurants pay higher fees for outside seating.

Auckland City Council wants to recover more of the cost of administering and cleaning up after outdoor eateries.

Its proposed policy would see an existing charge of $70 per chair changed to a flat licence fee, plus a charge per square metre. Allocated space for each cafe, restaurant or bar would be marked on the pavement.

Restaurants say a fee hike would hit the industry hard, particularly in an already tough economy.

"In fact, it may discourage people from putting tables out on the streets," said Restaurant Association chief executive Steve Mackenzie.

"The reason we've got al fresco dining is people love it, and I know the council is trying to encourage it as well, so I hope a fee increase doesn't have a negative effect."

Council won't set the new fees until the industry has had a say on the policy. But the probable outcome is that restaurants and cafes will try to cram more tables into smaller areas.

Chris Rupe from SPQR restaurant said a square metre charge was fair, but he hoped council would think carefully before raising the fee.

"They have to be fair and reasonable, otherwise we are going to protest about it," he said.

"Don't forget, the people sitting out there are ratepayers as well. As restaurateurs, we would hate to pass those extra costs on to our customers."

Murray Stewart, Hospitality Association Auckland branch president, wanted the fee scrapped altogether.

Council was "clipping the ticket twice" by charging for footpath space, he said.

Businesses were already ratepayers, and generally paid higher leases for sites with good outdoor dining.

And he said most businesses were "pedantic" about cleaning their own outdoor area, and shouldn't have to pay council to do it as well.

The association's regional manager, Sara Tucker, said some also questioned whether the charge was entirely about cost recovery.

"If an officer comes out to check the area is compliant, how is that different whether it's 2sq m or 10sq m? It's the same cost."

Council arts, culture and recreation committee chairman Greg Moyle said there was no intention to put extra burden on businesses. "We're talking about fair and reasonable cost recovery," he said.

The council would listen to the views of the industry and the public before making any decision, Moyle said, and any cost increase would be "a small one".

While the proposed system aimed to recover more of council's expenses, it would also bring savings, he said, such as lower enforcement costs.

Moyle said the council supported outdoor dining, which had helped revive parts of the city.

"I would fight anything that I think undermines or erodes that cafe culture."

heather.mccracken@hos.co.nz