THE Tamworth cricket association president says there hasn’t been much compromise from council on its controversial fee-restructure.
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Ben Middlebrook welcomed the reprieve offered by council on Tuesday night, with councillors voting in favour of wiping the association’s $24,000 debt for grounds charges.
“It’s great they have taken away the debt even though we had systems in place to pay that off over the next 18 months,” he said.
But there was still some aspects of the fee-restructure proposal which didn’t sit well with Mr Middlebrook.
“There’a few aspects we don’t agree with like franchises getting a 50 per cent subsidy,” he said.
I think, today so many organisations feel consultation is about ramming your point home until you can beat whoever your consulting with into submission and have them agree with your view of the world.
- Mayor Col Murray
“It only subsidises schools 20 per cent, we should be promoting schools to have carnivals.
“I know we’ve lost carnivals to other towns because it’s too expensive already.”
Mr Middlebrook said there hadn't been any compromise from council during consultation on fee restructuring for grounds charges, until the association circled a petition drawing more than 500 signatures including the support of Australian cricketer and Bendemeer-product Josh Hazlewood.
Tamworth Regional Council mayor Col Murray said the nature of community consultation has changed.
“I think, today so many organisations feel consultation is about ramming your point home until you can beat whoever your consulting with into submission and have them agree with your view of the world,” Cr Murray said.
“Council is charged with representing the whole community, along with those members of the cricketing community.”
The mayor said council was justified in seeking 20 per cent of the cost of ground upkeep from the users of council-owned grounds and cricket was getting treated no differently to any other sport.
Both council and the cricket association are open to further negotiation and an amendment was passed at Tuesday’s TRC meeting to ensure staff “proactively discuss with all of the cricket clubs” on mitigating higher costs incurred by fee changes.
Cr Murray said the association’s fear for the potential loss of cricketing carnivals would be a matter for discussion.
“We hope that’s not going to happen because that’s not in the best interest of the Tamworth community or the cricketing community,” he said.