Capital Football has blown the whistle against a WCC decision to renege on a promise for an independent review of ground
fees.
Capital Football CEO Richard Reid said last year’s “Affordable Sports” campaign was the culmination of years of playing
by the councils rules, endless submissions with absolutely no effect in getting the Council to itemise the costs and
clarify its calculations. During this time, the sports accumulated their own evidence that the Council was over-charging
organised sports to use public facilities.
“Reneging on an election promise is not fair play. Reneging in the middle of a cost of living crisis is a red card.”
“This is a reversal of a promise, given and accepted, to 100,000 players and parents in Wellington. 13 of these
Councillors agreed to a review, prior to the election, just to get the votes of sports people.
“The costs of Council sports grounds is really hurting players and parents. Affordability is a massive issue. Some
people will stop paying subs, and others will stop playing.
“On their behalf we cannot accept this broken promise,” he said.
Reid said the Council was being provocative in reneging on a promise but offering to have more meetings.
“They know we’re frustrated after years of meetings in which they flimflammed us with figures that bore little relation
to the cost as we understood them.”
Reid confirmed that the Capital Football Board had agreed to take the next steps made necessary by the Council’s
reversal.
“After years of polite and reasonable questions to the Council about how it calculates fees for facilities we’ve had
enough. There are no more questions, no more meetings. We will reserve our options as to where we go from here.”