A NEW schedule of fees for Goulburn’s multifunction centre is aimed at maximising usage, says its manager.
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The draft charges, agreed at Council’s meeting on Tuesday, give concessions for regular users, incentives for longer-term use and delete several controversial fees.
The schedule has been bedded down after months of consultation between Council, Goulburn Events Management (GEM), which was appointed to manage the Braidwood Rd facility, and users.
The community will have their say during a 28-day exhibition phase.
“All in all, it’s headed the right way,” GEM manager Mike Brady said.
“We want it to be affordable, to maximise use and to have it there for the community. It’s not just about sport but other events as well.”
Marketing will ramp up given surety over the fees.
The charges initially drew flak from users, who said it was unaffordable.
The AP&H Society aborted it for last year’s annual show. Goulburn Basketball representatives also said it was out of their range, despite the facility having two new courts.
Under the changes, the Veolia Arena will cost regular sports users $80/hr for the full hall or $40/hr for half the space at peak times, defined as weekdays and weekends from 6pm to 10pm. The fee includes cleaning, waste removal (except for larger events), lighting and kiosk operation.
But if holding an event during the day, the rate drops to $70/hr for the entire area and $35/hr for half the space.
Regular sports groups using the Veolia Arena after school (4pm-6pm) will receive a significant reduction - $40/hr for the full hall and $20/hr for the half hall.
But non-sporting parties hiring the space on a casual basis will pay $150/hr and $75/hr respectively.
‘Casual’ sports groups using the space will also pay more than regular users.
Councillors added another incentive on Tuesday. Cr Geoff Kettle was keen to offer encouragement for longer-term hire.
As such, regular users will receive a 10 per cent discount for bookings of six months’ duration.
If booking for 12 months, a 20pc discount will apply. Both are conditional on paying on a monthly basis.
In another breakthrough, a $2/chair fee in the Veolia Arena has been deleted and an earlier controversial $650 charge for ‘protective floor covering’ has been changed to ‘cost recovery.’ Hire of a portable stage is also at ‘cost recovery.’ Council general manager Warwick Bennett said Veolia Mulwaree Trust representatives had stated that they did not want Council to profit from the flooring, chairs and protective floor covering as they were a gift to the city.
In coming weeks, Mr Bennett will formalise Veolia’s verbal offer to replace these items when they deteriorate.
He said groups could offset the cost of floor covering by helping to lay it out for events.
In other concessions, hire of both the Veolia Arena and Grace Millsom Centre, facing the harness and greyhound racing tracks, will be by negotiation.
“There are two focuses with these charges,” Mr Bennett said.
“We want to maximise use and users and have as many types of people out there using the facility seven days a week.”
He was confident, based on feedback, that Goulburn basketball and the Show Society would use the centre on a regular basis.
The longer-term discounts were aimed specifically at them as an incentive.
Mr Brady also intends to work with these groups and others to maximise their usage.
“We want to make it as attractive to them as possible,” he said.