Free kick plea

By Dion Teasdale
HEALESVILLE Auskick members have labelled playing field maintenance fees charged by the Shire of Yarra Ranges as bureaucratic nonsense.
Many members, who pay council rates, believe the shire is double dipping by charging the group a $205 winter maintenance fee.
The group’s coordinator Daren Pryor wrote to the Mail (see letter, page 4) outlining his disappointment at the shire’s insistence on charging the fee.
Mr Pryor said the group received an invoice for $205 from the shire and was informed that the fee was needed to help cover the cost of maintaining the Queens Park oval.
The group, which started up three years ago and has over 100 primary school age participants, holds football skills training at the oval 16 mornings a year.
He said the fee came as a slap in the face to the group, which relies on donations and sponsorship to operate, and that most group members were surprised that maintenance of the oval was not covered by council rates. “Maintenance of the oval should be covered by the rates we pay each year as residents,” he said.
“The shire should not be double dipping and taking the hard earned money of junior sporting organisations like Auskick."
Mr Pryor said having to pay the $205 maintenance fee made it harder for the group to purchase extras such as new equipment and trophies for the participants.
He said the fee also impacted on the group’s ability to subsidise a bus trip to the city for Auskick participants to take part in half time activities at AFL games – a highlight of the year.
“We basically have to run extra raffles and increase our revenue raising throughout the year so we can cover the cost of this council fee,” he said.
“I know $205 doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is a lot when we could be using it for other things, and when its on top of all the other money we need to raise.”
Mr Pryor said there was more at stake than the $205.
“It’s the principal of the thing. We are providing a valuable service to the community and the shire is charging us to help cover their maintenance fees,” he said.
“In this day and age we are trying to encourage kids to play sport and the shire is taking money away from us and making it harder for us.”
Mr Pryor said the group saw little benefit from the maintenance fee and was considering relocating to a school to avoid having to pay the fee in the future.
Shire of Yarra Ranges manager of community relations James Martin defended the charging of maintenance fees.
“The shire is responsible for all maintenance on reserves and sporting ovals and the fees charged to sporting clubs assist with the cost of maintaining facilities,” he said.
Mr Martin said maintaining sports ovals was expensive and that the shire needed to adopt a user-pay fees structure.
“We operate six tractors and employ six drivers who mow the lawns, address safety issues around playing surfaces and rectify damage to the grounds,” he said.
“Our ovals cop a hiding over weekends, especially in winter, and it is our responsibility to ensure they are safe and ready for use the following weekend.”
Mr Martin said the shire did a lot of work in terms of re-seeding and fertilising grass, covering up rough and worn areas, levelling out divots and mowing.
He also said the fees charged to Auskick groups, like the one in Healesville, were heavily subsidised by the shire.
“Auskick groups are charged a one-off annual maintenance fee that recognises they do not use the facilities as much as other clubs or groups might,” he said.
Mr Martin said the shire was currently reviewing its fees and charges for recreation facilities and encouraged Healesville Auskick to formally write to the shire requesting a review of its maintenance fee.