Central District Football Club seeks 50 per cent rate rebate from Playford Council
Central District Football Club has laid bare its financial problems in a plea for rate relief from Playford Council, saying it is struggling to water its oval.
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The Central District Football Club is seeking higher rate relief from Playford Council, saying it is struggling to afford to water its oval at Elizabeth.
The club has written to the council asking for its rate rebate of 30 per cent to be increased to 50 per cent.
Chief executive Kris Grant said the club had “experienced reasonably large losses over recent years”.
“An increase in power costs, water costs on the oval and a continual decline in gaming is placing the club under extreme financial pressure,” Mr Grant said.
“This is starting to impact on the club’s ability to fund junior development in our area.”
Mr Grant said Central District’s financial situation was starting to impact adversely on its ability to maintain its main oval on Goodman Rd, Elizabeth.
“To continue to maintain the oval and its surrounds in a high quality state, these increases in costs are becoming prohibitive unless some assistance is provided,” he said.
Mr Grant said the club was “extremely proud of the appearance and condition of the oval”.
It spent $72,000 annually on a contractor to maintain the oval, with another $15,000 for top dressing, coring and herbicide treatment, plus a further $55,000 for water.
“We have managed to keep the cost consistent due to taking a gamble with minimum water on the oval and not watering the mounds until immediately prior to the commencement of the season,” said Mr Grant.
“This is not ideal but we have no other alternative due to cost.”
Mr Grant said the “continuation of a rate rebate would be of great relief to the football club”.
However, staff have recommended refusing to grant extra rate relief to the Bulldogs.
In a report, they said the 30 per cent rebate was given to the club in June as part of an annual arrangement which began in 2002.
An automatic extension had ended in 2007, with the club then having to apply each year.
The club’s land had increased in value to $4.2 million for the 2019-20 financial year, with commercial property rates of $61,214.
The 30 per cent rebate reduced these to $42,850.
In their report, staff said the council provided an annual subsidy of $37,792 and sponsorship to the club, including general admission tickets, grandstand seats, reserved carparking, tables at pre-match functions and meals and drinks.
It referred the decision about increasing the rate rebate to elected members, who will discuss the matter at their monthly meeting on Tuesday night.