Whakatāne sports clubs face huge increase in ground rental fees

By Diane McCarthy

Rotorua Daily Post·

12 Sep, 2023 11:59 PM3 mins to read

Whakatāne District Council proposes raising rental fees for sports grounds, such as the athletic field at Rex Morpeth Park. Photo / Diane McCarthy

Whakatāne District Council plans to drastically raise the cost for sports clubs to rent grounds, in one case, by as much as 433 per cent.

The council is consulting on its fees and charges proposal for the 2023-24 year.

Citing increased costs due to high rates of inflation, rising interest rates and other national and global factors, it has released a consultation document stating that some fees would increase.

Consultation opened on September 1 and closes on October 2.

While an initial covering document mentions minor changes to hourly call-out rates for staff involved in resource consents and a 15 per cent increase in fees for food control plans and programmes, it is not until closer inspection of the 54-page fees and charges schedule that some more eyewatering increases are mentioned.

Most fees are being raised by between 7 and 20 per cent, however, some items, such as water connection fees in urban areas are going up by 117 per cent.

Casual rental of a mooring in Whakatāne port is shifting from $100 a week to $150.

The largest increases are in the rental of sports grounds.

Whakatāne Twilight Cricket, which is currently charged $167 a season for an artificial wicket at Rex Morpeth Park, will have to pay $900 a season, a 433 per cent cost jump.

Awakeri and Ōhope junior soccer clubs, which rent Awakeri Sports Fields and Bluett Park, respectively, will have a 267 per cent jump in fees.

Te Teko Rugby Club, 224 per cent, Whakatāne Touch Association, 128 per cent, Eastern Bay of Plenty Cricket, 121 per cent and Tāneatua Rugby Club. 118 per cent, will also be scoring themselves some increases of over 100 per cent in ground rentals.

While this information has not been communicated in the council’s media releases and covering documents to the draft fees and charges schedule, a report to councillors received on August 31 stated that staff would carry out “targeted communication with affected stakeholder groups via direct email”.

“The council will be open, honest, and clearly articulate to communities the extraordinary circumstances council is facing with inflation and rising costs and the reasons for selecting its preferred option.”

In a frequently asked questions document on its website, explaining why sports ground rentals were increasing so much, the council stated that rental fees were currently only covering 4 per cent of maintenance costs.

“They should be sitting at 12.5 per cent, as outlined in the current Fees and Charges Schedule.”

It also pointed out that sports clubs could apply for funding from both the council and Sport Bay of Plenty to cover rental fees.

The council hopes to make a final decision in October or November in time to implement the new charges in December this year.

Submissions can be made on the council’s website, whakatane.govt.nz or at the council’s offices in Whakatāne or Murupara.

Biggest increases to sportsground rentals outlined below:

Twilight Cricket: Current $167 - new $900 (433%)

Awakeri Junior Soccer Club: Current $245 - new $900 (267%)

Ōhope Junior Soccer Club: Current $490 - new $1800 (267%)

Te Teko Rugby Club: Current $555 - new $1800 (224%)

Whakatāne Touch Association: Current $1580 - new $3600 (128%)

EBOP Cricket Club: Current $1630 - new $3000 (121%)

Tāneatua Rugby Club: Current $826 - new $1800 (118%)