New fees and charges for Queenstown Lakes district recreational clubs will come into effect on October 1, but venue charges and the rates applied to charitable, standard and commercial users will be reviewed in March 2011 after some councillors expressed concern about the policy being rushed through.
Community services committee chairman Leigh Overton and Cr Cath Gilmour moved the five unanimously carried resolutions, which will also see the inclusion of the draft community facility funding policy on school charges and the removal of charges for the season hire of outdoor netball courts.
It was decided the new policy would be applied when each club or society lease came up for rent review.
Members recommended the council boost Lake Leisure's operational subsidy by $78,000 to take into account the changes to fees and charges, which will reduce expected revenue from October 1.
The recommendation to review the fees and charges was included after Crs Overton, Gilmour, Lex Perkins and Vanessa van Uden expressed concern the draft policy had been rushed to the table because of draft annual plan time constraints.
Cr Gilmour, chairwoman of the hearing panel on draft policy submissions, said she thought they had "got most of the principles right", but there had not been enough discussion on venue rates and the appropriate ratio between charitable and standard rates.
Community services general manager Paul Wilson suggested a review in March next year would give the committee time to assess the policy and its effect on charitable users.
Speaking at the public forum, Wanaka Golf Club (WGC) spokesman Neville Harris said while the draft document was a vast improvement on the original, he was perplexed as to how the 18c per square metre rental charge for golf clubs was arrived at.
Mr Harris said golf clubs were being "singled out" regarding fees payable to the council on food and beverage sales.
"These are to be calculated at 5% of gross takings, which exceed $300,000 per year. Our club [is] getting close to that figure now and we do not open seven days a week and are not open to all and sundry, as suggested in the policy document."
WGC considered the proposed rentals and fees regarding catering and bar income to be too open ended and open to change at review times with little or no consultation, Mr Harris said.
Mr Wilson said 0.18c per square metre was the new rental charge from October 1 for areas over 1ha.
The figure of $300,000 was deemed to be the appropriate level to determine when club activity became commercial and when a contribution to the community should come into effect.
