Gympie council to reverse Kilkivan Equestrian Centre price hike

It might be impossible to make a horse backflip, but not for the Gympie council which is expected to perform an about-face on a controversial price hike at its $2.4 million equestrian centre.

Gympie Regional Council si expected to backflip on a controversial price hike of its fees to use the Kilkivan Equestrian Centre which one group based in the town said would force it to run its next event at a loss and force other organisations to look for venues elsewhere.

Backflipping might not be standard fare in show jumping, but the Gympie council is expected to perform the trick over a controversial price hike at its showcase $2.4 million Kilkivan Equestrian Centre.

Councillors are expected to slash the organisation’s recently hiked cost of using the centre after equestrian groups said at the start of July the new fees would price them out.

The new fees were adopted by the council in May as part of its 2023-24 budget preparation.

The cost of hiring the centre for a non-ticketed event was increased from $100 per day, plus $10 per horse (and capped at $300) to $300 per day, and $10 per horse if the event had more than 10 of the animals.

Under the new proposal to be voted on by councillors at Wednesday’s ordinary meeting, the cost would be slashed back to $100, plus $10 per horse if there were more than 10.

This new cost would be capped at $315.

Noosa District Working Equitation president Karen Blagg said the new fees were questionable given the Kilkivan centre could not offer the same facilities as competing venues located in Toowoomba, Caboolture and Warwick.

The daily cost of hiring the centre for non-horse events was also proposed to be cut.

In May the council raised this from $350 to $500 for a non-spectator event, and $750 for a ticketed event.

This would be wound back to a single $367.50 fee for any non-horse event.

Minor cuts were also proposed for setting up and taking down events, and hiring campsites at the centre.

A 35 per cent discount for some groups hiring the centre, introduced in the May overhaul, is expected to be scrapped too.

Noosa District Working Equitation president Karen Blagg had raised concerns about the new fee structure at the start of July.

Farming, industry, housing: Huge ripple effects of Bruce Hwy bypass explained

Mrs Blagg said the new fees introduced would drive the price of the Kilkivan-based group’s next event to $460.

This was $190 more than they had been charged for a similar-sized event under the old pricing scheme.

She said this would force the group to run the event “at a loss”.

The new prices were questionable as the Kilkivan centre did not have the same facilities on offer as competing ones at Toowoomba, Caboolture and Warwick.