Toowoomba clubs plead for council fee relief

Sports clubs pray for fee relief

Willowburn’s Keiran Antel takes a shot against Clairvaux FC during a friendly match at Commonwealth Oval. Willowburn’s home ground is Toowoomba Regional Council facility meaning they would benefit from any fee relief.

COMMUNITY sports clubs are praying a Toowoomba Regional Council vote works in their favour next week.

With COVID-19 placing an extra financial burden on community sport, TRC is considering waiving winter park hire fees for sporting field use.

“I think any consideration TRC can give clubs would be welcome and genuinely appreciated across the region,” Willowburn FC president Gerard Alchin said.

“We have to think about not just the short term but also the long term so clubs can continue to operate beyond this year, and the easing of financial pressure will assist significantly.”

The waiver recommendation was made at TRC’s Finance and Business Strategy Committee meeting earlier this week and voting will take place at the council meeting on July 21.

“As a council, we’ve been looking at ways in which we can support and help our community through this pandemic,” Cr Geoff McDonald said.

“This included a $125 rates rebate earlier this year (May), accompanied by a number of other financial relief measures for our residents.

“Following this, we dedicated $50 million in our budget to a pandemic package and made it clear that we would continue to consider further ways in which we could support our community, including our sporting organisations.

“We know COVID-19 has had a significant impact on winter sporting clubs such as rugby, AFL and soccer, with little to no games possible since late March, and we want to provide help where possible.

“While some of our clubs have begun returning to the sporting fields already, a number of others are still going through the necessary processes, and we hope the waiving of park hire fees will help make this transition as smooth as possible for all groups.”

With a competition drawing in players and clubs from a 40,000sq km zone, Downs Rugby is right behind any move to ease the burden on its members.

“Myself and our chairman Rob Johnston wholeheartedly support any decision to ease the pressure on our clubs,” Downs Rugby general manager Matt Hammond said.

“Waiving or reducing facility fees would be welcome with our clubs still feeling the strain of the drought, recent bushfires and now this pandemic.”

Toowoomba’s Aussie rules clubs also favour the proposal.

“Relief from council would be very much welcomed by AFLQ and right across our club network who, like all businesses and organisations, are doing it tough at the moment,” AFLQ Football Operations Manager – Darling Downs Mitchell Simpson said.

“A waiving of fees by council would go a long way to ease the burden of revenue lost on memberships, canteen sales and additional expenditure on items to meet COVID-19 protocols as well as reducing the stress on our hard-working and committed volunteers to keep the clubs running.

“Now, more than ever, it’s critical for investment in local community sporting facilities to ensure they’re up to standard and meet the requirements of community football.”

Originally published as