Some sports clubs and non-for profit groups appear to have escaped any charges from the proposed Dunedin City Council bylaw on trade waste.
But clubs with a liquor licence may be subject to the same trade waste bylaw, though the annual bylaw fee is yet to be decided.
A council hearing subcommittee will meet tomorrow to consider submissions on a review of the council's trade waste bylaw.
The proposed bylaw had been criticised by Sporting Clubs Association of New Zealand chief executive Bob Clark, who says it could force Dunedin sports clubs out of business.
Mr Clark, of Dunedin, said many sports clubs were being lumped in with commercial operators, yet were not trading for commercial gain.
Mr Clark said, when contacted yesterday, the council appeared to be having a bob each way.
The council said small sports clubs were exempt, but then clubs that hired out their premises for a function would be hit by the bylaw.
"That would be most sports clubs in Dunedin," Mr Clark said.
The bylaw review received 55 submissions.
In the report to the subcommittee, approved by council water and waste services manager John Mackie, it says the classification of premises has not been predetermined by the council.
Many community facilities such as small sports clubs, churches, marae and other non-profit organisations had stated to the council they should be exempt from the bylaw as they did not have significant trade waste discharge.
The report said organisations and premises with discharge similar to residential discharges were not considered trade waste customers.
The council would not be putting all sports facilities into the commercial operations category as the majority of the clubs did not trade for commercial gain.
Sporting clubs with a liquor licence or environmental health licence, or commercial kitchen, would be subject to an on-site inspection by council staff to determine their bylaw status.
The cost of the new bylaw to groups had yet to be decided.
An annual fee of $180 had been suggested.
The intent of the trade waste bylaw was to spread costs of treatment more equally across trade waste dischargers.
