Posted: 05:00pm Wed 14 Feb, 2024 | By Alisha Evans - Local Democracy Reporter (alisha@thesun.co.nz)
Proposed sports fees a council 'cash grab' - Club
The council is proposing to charge sports clubs to train on fields. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
14 comments
Greedy
Posted on 14-02-2024 17:25 | By Roger
The council/ commissioners should be ashamed of themselves, looking at penalising young families and sports people who are already paying for some ridiculous projects that now need paying for. They have now bled most Cameron road businesses dry and now want to spread their claws into the suburbs. Shame on you !
Ridiculous
Posted on 14-02-2024 21:23 | By Kauritatahi
The bureaucrats at council think they can get away with charging commercial type fees to non-profit sports groups who pretty much all run on volunteer effort?? Get real !!
The goons at council need to realise it is not their land - it is our land, it is owned by the residents and ratepayers of Tauranga, and the latter already contribute to it's up-keep. Sure, clubs can pay a token amount to contribute to mowing/maintenance, etc. but when we get out rates demands one of the justifications for out rates is expenditure on 'public facilities'. Well, here it is!! If the commie commissioners didn't keep blowing the budget on their grand ego projects then the staff wouldn't be having to find new ways to fleece the people of Tauranga !!
Hmmm
Posted on 14-02-2024 21:42 | By Let's get real
Another group wanting special privileges from a council that has overspent...
How the chickens are coming home to roost.
The writing has been on the wall for some time now, but there has been total silence from all of those with their noses in the trough until they are required to carry some of the burden.
How long do all of these communities expect to get a free ride for, when public debt has been spiralling exorbitantly on nice-to-have vanity projects and multiple millions on council empire building.
Do you believe that the budgets for those vanity projects will remain unchanged and do you believe that cost of living increases shouldn't affect your pastimes...?
Every one of you an your memberships should be baulking at council largesse and count yourselves fortunate to have been supported for so many years by ratepayers funds.
Death by 1000 cuts
Posted on 15-02-2024 06:30 | By OG-2024
WHAT COUNCIL??? The commissioners have a clear agenda.... to kill Tauranga through the LTP. If they have their way Tauranga will become one huge retirement village that no one can afford to live in. City centre is in cardiac arrest, Green areas are endangered in favour of dense housing - but no one can afford the cost of living in it, Youth and families are being bled dry of money and activities such as sport...
The sooner these tyrants are evicted and replaced by ELECTED people who genuinely care about Tauranga and those who choose to live here the Better!
@ Lets get real
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:03 | By an_alias
Come on man, this is just about getting funds and nothing more. These grounds have been paid for by generations and costs very little to maintain.
Your talking about people who give up there time to help kids enjoy sport. The up shot is healthy people with reduce health burden going forward if they continue.
Sports should be encourages not used to grab more cash for an out of control TCC who are looking to cover the massive project no one wants.
You are blaming the wrong group, this is purely about TCC agenda and the fact they are not being fiscally sound. The real question is how they are allowed to put things off books without anyones say.
Community funding
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:29 | By david mends
The emotive reaction to the councils proposal misses the fact that funding can come from the community trust TECT and will lock this income in to TCC's balance sheet and most likely the WBOPDC's
Not content with rorting the ratepayers
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:38 | By treekiwi
for huge costs during their administration, they are leaving the users of Council facilities with a legacy of misery and destruction of their social sport clubs which have been generations in the building by implementing these outlandish fee increases. There is no excuse for organised theft.
@an_alias
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:46 | By Let's get real
Perhaps you phrase it better than I do...
My vitriol isn't aimed at the small groups but at the total lack of public descent towards the empire builders in the council offices.
Am I the only one to be asking who is footing the bills...?
Well you know what, it will be the six, seven and eight year olds who are turning up for sport, for the rest of their lives. It will be those trying to raise a family and facing cost of living increases and it will be ratepayers on a fixed income who will be budgeting even more assiduously to pay their rates or face court proceedings.
But as long as we can go to the incubator and run around playing sports, why not keep our heads firmly planted in the sands.
Don't be complacent about council empire building, someone has to pay.
User pay
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:49 | By Angels
Sports clubs are just that. They are not parks for all of society. Sport clubs
The massive cost of keeping grass cut etc etc. clubs will just have to pass off costs to the users. We pay for toll roads, public transport. Why should the privileged few not pay user costs.
Equity at last
Posted on 15-02-2024 10:12 | By Jenny K
The new outdoor fees proposal is welcomed by ALL the indoor facilities users who have watched outdoor sports for years get hugely subsidised services from TCC. We have asked for some equity for many years now and it's great to see the first step being made. Alot of discussion to take place yet to get the structure right but it's a good first step.
bunch of key aunts
Posted on 15-02-2024 15:31 | By Howbradseesit
The up keep of these fields, parks and sports grounds are already included in the rates we pay - it says so in the rates letters we get.
These sports teams are run on an oily rag budget with volunteers, fund raising and grants.
What a mean spirited move by council to think that the people using these spaces (who already fund them in rates) should have to pay for them again.
This is little more than a cash grab again for Tolley and co to fund their ego projects.
Get out, get out, get out.
@Howbradseesit
Posted on 15-02-2024 18:11 | By Let's get real
OVER TEN YEARS AGO, the cost to manage the parks and reserves by a contracting company with their own management system and then under another level of council staff/officers, was well over 4 million dollars to the contractors alone.
That was just the parks and reserves general maintenance and not any additional costs incurred, which was invoiced separately and aggressively.
Probably less than 20 staff, actually doing to work and 8 to 10 managers and council officials.
Just to highlight how much each and every council operated site costs for contractors to be overseen by council numpties.
The true scale of council wastage must be known and stopped.
@ Howbradseesit
Posted on 15-02-2024 22:10 | By Yadick
Excellent comment. Well said.
Yearly Subs
Posted on 16-02-2024 06:36 | By Thats Nice
Teams pay substantial subs every year to play on these grounds.
14 comments
Greedy
Posted on 14-02-2024 17:25 | By Roger
The council/ commissioners should be ashamed of themselves, looking at penalising young families and sports people who are already paying for some ridiculous projects that now need paying for. They have now bled most Cameron road businesses dry and now want to spread their claws into the suburbs. Shame on you !
Ridiculous
Posted on 14-02-2024 21:23 | By Kauritatahi
The bureaucrats at council think they can get away with charging commercial type fees to non-profit sports groups who pretty much all run on volunteer effort?? Get real !!
The goons at council need to realise it is not their land - it is our land, it is owned by the residents and ratepayers of Tauranga, and the latter already contribute to it's up-keep. Sure, clubs can pay a token amount to contribute to mowing/maintenance, etc. but when we get out rates demands one of the justifications for out rates is expenditure on 'public facilities'. Well, here it is!! If the commie commissioners didn't keep blowing the budget on their grand ego projects then the staff wouldn't be having to find new ways to fleece the people of Tauranga !!
Hmmm
Posted on 14-02-2024 21:42 | By Let's get real
Another group wanting special privileges from a council that has overspent...
How the chickens are coming home to roost.
The writing has been on the wall for some time now, but there has been total silence from all of those with their noses in the trough until they are required to carry some of the burden.
How long do all of these communities expect to get a free ride for, when public debt has been spiralling exorbitantly on nice-to-have vanity projects and multiple millions on council empire building.
Do you believe that the budgets for those vanity projects will remain unchanged and do you believe that cost of living increases shouldn't affect your pastimes...?
Every one of you an your memberships should be baulking at council largesse and count yourselves fortunate to have been supported for so many years by ratepayers funds.
Death by 1000 cuts
Posted on 15-02-2024 06:30 | By OG-2024
WHAT COUNCIL??? The commissioners have a clear agenda.... to kill Tauranga through the LTP. If they have their way Tauranga will become one huge retirement village that no one can afford to live in. City centre is in cardiac arrest, Green areas are endangered in favour of dense housing - but no one can afford the cost of living in it, Youth and families are being bled dry of money and activities such as sport...
The sooner these tyrants are evicted and replaced by ELECTED people who genuinely care about Tauranga and those who choose to live here the Better!
@ Lets get real
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:03 | By an_alias
Come on man, this is just about getting funds and nothing more. These grounds have been paid for by generations and costs very little to maintain.
Your talking about people who give up there time to help kids enjoy sport. The up shot is healthy people with reduce health burden going forward if they continue.
Sports should be encourages not used to grab more cash for an out of control TCC who are looking to cover the massive project no one wants.
You are blaming the wrong group, this is purely about TCC agenda and the fact they are not being fiscally sound. The real question is how they are allowed to put things off books without anyones say.
Community funding
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:29 | By david mends
The emotive reaction to the councils proposal misses the fact that funding can come from the community trust TECT and will lock this income in to TCC's balance sheet and most likely the WBOPDC's
Not content with rorting the ratepayers
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:38 | By treekiwi
for huge costs during their administration, they are leaving the users of Council facilities with a legacy of misery and destruction of their social sport clubs which have been generations in the building by implementing these outlandish fee increases. There is no excuse for organised theft.
@an_alias
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:46 | By Let's get real
Perhaps you phrase it better than I do...
My vitriol isn't aimed at the small groups but at the total lack of public descent towards the empire builders in the council offices.
Am I the only one to be asking who is footing the bills...?
Well you know what, it will be the six, seven and eight year olds who are turning up for sport, for the rest of their lives. It will be those trying to raise a family and facing cost of living increases and it will be ratepayers on a fixed income who will be budgeting even more assiduously to pay their rates or face court proceedings.
But as long as we can go to the incubator and run around playing sports, why not keep our heads firmly planted in the sands.
Don't be complacent about council empire building, someone has to pay.
User pay
Posted on 15-02-2024 09:49 | By Angels
Sports clubs are just that. They are not parks for all of society. Sport clubs
The massive cost of keeping grass cut etc etc. clubs will just have to pass off costs to the users. We pay for toll roads, public transport. Why should the privileged few not pay user costs.
Equity at last
Posted on 15-02-2024 10:12 | By Jenny K
The new outdoor fees proposal is welcomed by ALL the indoor facilities users who have watched outdoor sports for years get hugely subsidised services from TCC. We have asked for some equity for many years now and it's great to see the first step being made. Alot of discussion to take place yet to get the structure right but it's a good first step.
bunch of key aunts
Posted on 15-02-2024 15:31 | By Howbradseesit
The up keep of these fields, parks and sports grounds are already included in the rates we pay - it says so in the rates letters we get.
These sports teams are run on an oily rag budget with volunteers, fund raising and grants.
What a mean spirited move by council to think that the people using these spaces (who already fund them in rates) should have to pay for them again.
This is little more than a cash grab again for Tolley and co to fund their ego projects.
Get out, get out, get out.
@Howbradseesit
Posted on 15-02-2024 18:11 | By Let's get real
OVER TEN YEARS AGO, the cost to manage the parks and reserves by a contracting company with their own management system and then under another level of council staff/officers, was well over 4 million dollars to the contractors alone.
That was just the parks and reserves general maintenance and not any additional costs incurred, which was invoiced separately and aggressively.
Probably less than 20 staff, actually doing to work and 8 to 10 managers and council officials.
Just to highlight how much each and every council operated site costs for contractors to be overseen by council numpties.
The true scale of council wastage must be known and stopped.
@ Howbradseesit
Posted on 15-02-2024 22:10 | By Yadick
Excellent comment. Well said.
Yearly Subs
Posted on 16-02-2024 06:36 | By Thats Nice
Teams pay substantial subs every year to play on these grounds.
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