Paying for playing fields

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34097, 8 March 1976, Page 16

Paying for playing fields

Those few citizens whose enjoyment of public parks is curtailed when sports teams are playing on grounds in the parks will probably think that it is only right for sports clubs to pay something for their exclusive, though temporary, use of parks. The Canterbury Rugby Union thinks that the amount the Christchurch City Council is asking for the use of grounds this winter is unreasonable. The union’s complaint is that the cost of maintaining the grounds for the use of other sports clubs is more, but members of those clubs pay less. Fees demanded of the various sports clubs do not cover the full cost of preparing and maintaining the grounds. But th<‘ council should be careful to ensure that the contribution from each sport bears some relation to the costs of maintaining the grounds and converting them from season to season. Almost all sporting and cultural activities in New Zealand are subsidised to some extent from the public purse And since the sports w:hich use the parks are open to all-comers the principle is reasonable If the full cost of providing sports grounds were put on the players themselves the burden would be discouraging to many. Already the fees have to be borne by the players, or by supporters and parents, all of whom are making some contribution to the upkeep of the parks through rates. But not all sports make use of public parks and it seems fair enough when a charge is made for those who do want to use the parks. Some sportsmen have to rely on their own resources entirely Many other facilities are provided at public expense — sports stadiums, halls, meeting rooms — and the users expect to pay. even if they do not meet the full running costs. Those who play winter field sports should not expect to be exempt from some personal contribution. Of course, the charge must be fair Young people, in particular, should be given every encouragement to play the sport of their choice and if the burden of paying for the use of grounds ever became so great that clubs lost players for that reason alone, some change would have to be made in council policy. The council provides parks to foster recreation, and its charges should not become a deterrent.