Warrnambool sportsground fees set set for shake-up

But the council says the proposal, which is included in Warrnambool City Council's draft budget for 2022-23, had so far received positive feedback from clubs.

The council's chief executive officer Peter Schneider said the council had looked at the way it was allocating fees out to sporting clubs.

He said a report would go to council during the year, and but it would be a mix of fees going up and for others it would go down.

User fees of up to $74,000 were waived for clubs throughout most of the pandemic with competitions banned, and now clubs face changes to the way they are billed.

They include:

The council said the proposed fee structure had been based on the Draft Occupancy of Sport and Recreation Facilities Policy, and a pricing model which has been presented to a council briefing.

Council officers are now consulting with clubs about the draft policy and pricing model.

"So far, feedback has been supportive," it said.

Consultation will be completed by the end of May and a report which includes the feedback from clubs will go to the council for consideration.

The pricing model for sports grounds is based on a sports ground hierarchy that takes into consideration the cost to the council, the provisions within the facility and its use.

"The pricing is based on a formula that is transparent and equitable," it said.

The council said the reasoning behind the change was to bring about a more equitable system and a formula-based value to pricing that can be explained to clubs.

Meanwhile, plans to ban fast-food advertising across the city's sporting venues have been ditched with councillors approving an amended signage policy.

It sparked backlash last month when it was first proposed, and councillors voted to hold over the policy for a month so it could be changed.

The original plan was labelled "silly" with councillors questioning whether they should act as "food police" for clubs who drew much-needed sponsorship dollars from the fast-food signage.

Cr Debbie Arnott said the renewed signage policy was now a lot fairer and a lot clearer.

"I don't think it was fair that we should be telling sporting clubs that they can not have fast food signage," Cr Arnott said.

She said she was much more comfortable with the amended policy which would be applied to 15 venues across the city.

It was passed unanimously.

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