Sport charge warning

ERIN PEARSON
SPORTS clubs have warned they could fold after discovering a council charge scheme to begin on the Surf Coast was costing similar groups in other municipalities around $8000 a year.
The Independent reported earlier this month that Surf Coast Shire council had adopted a new recreation strategy with an annual usage fee for clubs.
The shire would pool the money to pay for club upgrades around the municipality.
The shire has based the new policy on Glen Eira City Council, which charges clubs around $8000 in usage fees each year.
Bentleigh Football Club President Garry Matlock said his club paid $2000 at the start of each year before even receiving keys to the ground.
“Clubs can find that hard if they don’t budget very carefully. Then we pay utilities on top of that,” he said.
“The canteen, bar, raffles, fundraising and membership takings all together don’t cover what we pay council. We rely on sponsorship, so I can understand how some clubs would struggle.”
Jan Juc Cricket Club’s Tony White said his club would fold if it had to find thousands of dollars more each year.
“We’ve already put tens of thousands of dollars of our own money and volunteer labour into shire facilities and that hasn’t been acknowledged in any fee structure,” Mr White said.
“This has the potential to destroy years of goodwill.
“We’ve organised to construct some of the Bob Pettit oval, we built the rooms, we organised the grants and dragged the shire kicking and screaming to get them finalised, we funded $15,000 worth of cricket nets and pitches, so we’re already paying our way.
“Every dollar we give to the shire is a dollar we cannot spend on junior sport.”
Glen Eira City Council community relations manager Paul Burke said the user-pays structure worked “very well”.
“We’ve had no concerns at all with the fees. It’s been a win-win for clubs and for the community.”
Surf Coast Shire has yet to set charges for its user-pays scheme.
Surf Coast Shire officers and councillors are under instruction not to speak to the Independent.