Boat owners from outside Oamaru will have to continue paying an ''out-of-towner'' charge to use the town's harbour mooring facilities, despite objections from some boat owners.
Last year, harbour mooring fees for Waitaki ratepayers were $300, but non-ratepayers had to pay a mooring fee of $500, and Waitaki District Council corporate services group manager Carolyn Carter said the difference between the two rates had been due to the fact that rate-payers already subsidised the harbour through rates.
The council had asked council officers to look again at charging both ratepayers and non-ratepayers similar fees, after it received submissions opposed to the practice during the annual plan process, Mrs Carter said.
However, at Tuesday's regular Waitaki District Council meeting, councillors rejected a recommendation from officers that all boat owners be charged the same $300 fee, in favour of retaining both existing charges for another year.
Mayor Alex Familton said the reasons put forward by councillors for retaining the differential were that residents already paid a rate to support the harbour.
''That rate payment is, in a sense, a payment for use of the harbour in general by them as ratepayers, so that's recognised in the reduced amount for those residing here.
''Both charges are well within a reasonable threshold and our information indicates that other harbours are quite a bit dearer than that.''
It was not expected existing non-resident boat owners would leave the harbour as a result of the higher rate, he said.
Holmes Wharf berth fees would also remain unchanged at $960 a year.
