Review of ground fees demanded

By Frank Neill

Capital Football has announced yesterday (3 May)that it will withhold payments on ground fee invoices from Wellington City Council until its demand for an independent review of the cost basis for the charges is fulfilled.

The council appears to have reneged on its decision to review sports ground fees, Capital Football says.

Given the severity of the issue, Capital Football had no other option than to withhold payment of the fees until WCC makes good on its promise and a review is completed, Capital Football CEO Richard Reid said.

“We have a duty to players and parents to ensure council fees are the lowest possible and can be substantiated and justified.”

“Times are too tough, so although we appreciate the efforts of councillors, this review must happen quickly.

“Wellington sportspeople want this review now, as they were promised by 14 of the 16 people on council.

“Only an independent review can assess the real cost of providing these grounds.

“We’ll pay only when the Review is completed,” Mr Reid said.

Capital Football’s announcement it would no longer pay sports ground fees came just days after five Wellington sports codes wrote a joint letter to Mayor Tory Whanau in which they refuse to accept Wellington City Council’s intention to break an election promise to review the costs behind council sports facility fees.

The letter is signed by the chief executives of Capital Football, Cricket Wellington and Wellington Hockey, the general manager of Capital Basketball and the executive director of College Sport Wellington.

They publicly released their letter on 29 April.

Mayor Whanau’s “first promise of the Wellington Mayoral campaign answered a campaign by sports codes to undertake a review of the way WCC calculates the fees it charges sports to use public parks and sport facilities,” the sports codes said when releasing the letter to the Mayor.

“The campaign was supported by most other Wellington Council candidates, of which 13 now make up the 15 seats on council.

“In late March, [Mayor] Whanau wrote to the Affordable Sports for Greater Wellington group saying the review would now not take place.

“The major sporting codes have written back to the Mayor to reject her letter and advise that they are now considering their next steps.” mances by the entire forward pack – Lucas Aukuso, Sami Raja, Haamea Ahio, Anthony Pettett, Adney Roebeck, Sean Rankin, Tyler Hall and Sergio Hollis.

Johnsonville’s next match sees them face unbeaten Old Boys University, who currently lie second on the table, at Helston Park on 6 May.

Northern United did not have such a good day on 29 April.

They were on the end of a convincing defeat at the hands of the competition leaders, the Upper Hutt Rams. Playing at Porirua Park, the Rams beat Norths 56-29.

The Northern United women’s team, playing in the premier competition, fared better on 29 April.

They drew 39-39 with the Avalon She Wolves, cementing their second placing in the competition.

Norths had to come from behind to snatch the draw.

Avalon led 24-12 at half time.

Norths came back with two tries to gain a narrow lead half way through the second half. Avalon went ahead again to take a seven point lead into the dying minutes of the match, when Norths scored a late try. First five Arene Landon-Lane had a tough conversion, placing the ball just five metres in from touch, but landed the kick to secure the draw. The Norths women face competition leaders Petone in a top-of-the-table encounter at Onepoto Park on 6 May.

Reserves did enough to overcome Stop Out 2-0.

The surprise package of the week went to Petone and their astonishing 4-3 win over National League aspirant, Miramar Rangers through a 90th minute penalty. With a third of the season completed, Wellington Olympic remain top of the table on 18 points, with three points back to the Nix and a further three again to Western Suburbs.

At the other end of the table, Whanganui Athletic has yet to break their duck, North Wellington have three points and Waterside Karori sit on four.