Recreation & Sporting Facilities & Community Halls Rentals & Leases Policy

Policies

1.0    Purpose

This policy sets out the basis for leases for recreation and sporting facilities and community halls.

2.0    Background

The Council owns a number of facilities that are utilised by community groups for recreation and sporting activities.  These include sports fields, sport clubrooms and community halls.

Timaru District Council is committed to the provision of an efficient and effective range of recreation facilities throughout the District. This provision maximises the recreation opportunities available to residents and visitors, including the disabled, within the resources available to the Council and its partners.

This will be achieved by Council acting as:

  • The Provider either directly or in partnership with others, of recreation facilities such as multi-use sports halls, open spaces, swimming pools, and play areas where there is a widespread need for these services and they are unlikely to be provided for the general public by other parties.
  • The Enabler of recreation services where the Council can use its statutory powers such as planning permission and facilities grants and its contacts with a range of bodies to encourage recreation provision by a third party.
  • The Co-ordinator of recreation services where the Council’s powers and local knowledge can be sensitively used to achieve maximum benefit and prevent duplication.

This policy aims to set clear requirements for leases for Council administered recreation and sporting facilities and community halls, including tenure and fees payable.

3.0    Key Definitions

  • Exclusive area - an area legally defined or physically developed by fencing off or other means to such an extent that it is not available to other users.  Exclusive areas are maintained at the cost of the lessee.
  • Annualised Marginal Cost – the annual additional cost of maintaining a sportsfield over and above general park standards.  Additional costs may include topdressing, undersowing, fertilizing, irrigating, drainage, aeration and additional mowing.
  • Exclusive major capital facilities – where the lessee has undertaken capital improvements of more than $250,000.

4.0    Policy

4.1      Recreation Leases terms

The terms of recreation leases are:

  1. Public sports fields and associated Council facilities - seasonal hire only
  2. Public sports fields with adjoining capital improvements owned by lessee – five year lease
  3. Exclusive (i.e. non-public) areas (and building sites) maintained by lessee – five year lease with one right of renewal
  4. Public hardcourt areas with 25% capital contribution by lessee - five year lease with two rights of renewal
  5. Exclusive major capital facilities (where "major" capital improvements or facility is over $250,000 worth of lessee improvements) – lease maximum 30 years.

4.2      Recreation and Sporting Organisations Charges

For non-profit recreation and sporting organisations, the following principles apply:

  1. Building costs (e.g. insurance, service charges, maintenance etc.) are to be met by users either directly or indirectly through rent.
  2. Annual site fees for ‘Exclusive’ areas, including sites of buildings on Council administered land, are set based on the following areas:
  • Up to 200m2
  • 200m2 – 5,000m2
  • 5,000m2 – 10,000m2
  • 10,000m2 – 50,000m2
  • 50,000m2 – 100,000m2
  • 100,000m2 – 200,000m2
  • Greater than 200,000m2

This does not apply to rural public halls or Domains leased in their entirety to an incorporated society.

  1. Rentals for playing fields are based on the average annualised marginal cost of maintaining the field to the required standard compared with maintaining it if it was not a sports field.
  2. Rentals for publicly available hard-courts and sealed areas to be based on:
  • 25% user capital contribution for construction or resealing
  • 20% of the balance recovered through user charges during the life of the surface
  • 20% of the maintenance cost recovered from user charges
  1. There is no charge for school casual use of public sportsfields.
  2. A daily charge will be made for use of sportsfields by organisations or individuals not affiliated to a sporting body paying a season hire under 3. above.

4.3      Hall and Domain Charges

Council owned rural halls and domains leased to community organisations who operate the hall and/or domain will be charged a nominal rent of $1 per annum, but will be responsible for operating and maintenance costs associated with the site.

4.4      Esplanade Reserves Leases

Newly created Esplanade Reserves, not yet required for Council purposes, may be leased to the adjoining landholder on a year to year basis.  Rental will be generally at a peppercorn rate unless the land has a commercial rental value. The lessee is responsible for rates, pest plants and animal control and fencing.

Adopted Community Development Committee 9 February 2016

Last updated: 24 Feb 2021