The final report from the review of fees for sports grounds and facilities in the Greater Wellington region was released today. Wellington City, Porirua City, Upper Hutt City, and Kāpiti Coast District Council took part in the review, and additional data was provided by Hutt City Council.

The report was conducted by consultancy Martin Jenkins and overseen by the Affordable Sport Working Group – a group that was led by independent chair Alan Isaac, and included representatives from sporting codes, Nuku Ora, and Wellington and Porirua City Council.

The report, and a summary, can be read here: https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/recreation/sportsgrounds-sports/files/wellington-sports-fees-and-charges-review.pdf?la=en&hash=DBAB79A4D79D6DB75ABA4657CBA8CA8F22369FB3

Scope of the review:

The purpose of the review was to examine the sports facility fees charged by councils in the Wellington region in order to provide transparency about:

· How fees are established and set

· What the fees contribute towards, and

· How capital works for sports facilities in the region are developed or renewed

Key report findings:

· Each council in the Wellington region has its own approach to recovering the cost of providing sports facilities. Generally, councils seek to balance accessibility for users, demand for services and the level of service.

· Across all councils in the region, the delivery of sports facilities is significantly subsidised by ratepayers, consistent with other Council services.

· It is difficult to compare costs across councils on a like-for-like basis. Councils have different cost recovery targets and record costs in different ways which creates complexity and an administrative burden for sports clubs and organisation.

· Cross-subsidisation of sport facilities (e.g. subsidising junior sport through senior sports fees) is common, but it needs to be understood further to ensure equity.

· Most fee adjustments align with Consumer Price Index changes, but adjustments often overlook shifts in service costs. Councils have infrequently reviewed their fee structures

Key recommendations:

· Councils and sports organisations should continue to collaborate across the region.

· Councils should consider how to improve the transparency of their costs and fees.

· Sport organisations should raise awareness to members of how fields and facilities are provided and the cost of using council facilities.

· There should be a consistent approach to substantive future fees reviews across councils, and they should occur every 3-5 years.

· Each council should assess the effectiveness of its service delivery of sporting grounds and facilities.

Te Whai Oranga Pōneke, the Open Spaces & Recreation Strategy, sets out Wellington City Council’s commitment to considering inequities in the provision, quality, and access to sport and recreation facilities and the subsidy level on fees charged for using council facilities.

It is noteworthy that most of Wellington City Council’s sports fees have not increased in the past two years. Junior sport on grass fields remains free, and college sports are charged 50% of the subsidised rate. On artificial fields, junior and college sport will continue to be charged at 50% of the subsidised rate.

Wellington City Councillor Nureddin Abdurahman says he wants sport to be affordable for children to be able to play it, no matter their family’s circumstances.

“Unfortunately many children are excluded from playing sport because of many barriers. I want Council to work with sports groups and allocate more funding to break down barriers, such as fees, so all children in Wellington can enjoy the benefits of healthy sports.

“I thank the working group, including the sports organisations who supported the review, for their hard work and those who advocated for it to happen. The review provides a number of recommendations for how councils and sports clubs can work together better. I am keen to see these recommendations fully implemented, including work on improving transparency so sports groups and the public can get a better picture of how fees are set.

“I look forward to working with officers and the working group to progress these recommendations and also to continue to push for affordability of sports for all.”

Working Group Chair Alan Isaac says, “The report identifies an opportunity for councils to review the costs of providing facilities to best ensure they are achieving policy targets in terms of fees charged to recover costs. We’re confident that this report will encourage more co-operation between sports and councils to ensure fees are fair and consistent.”

$150,000 was allocated for the review to cover the services of the consultancy and the independent chair. Nuku Ora, Sport New Zealand, and Porirua City Council also contributed towards the cost of the review.

Wellington City Council staff will now look at options for how the Council responds to the report’s recommendations and will present those to Councillors in due course. The Council will continue to work together with sports organisations, Nuku Ora and the community to understand the barriers to playing sport in the region.

© Scoop Media