Community king hit by City

The City of Albany has hit the Lower King Community Association with a whopping increase to its lease of Gomm Park Hall, which it fears it cannot afford.

Picture by Laurie Benson: omm Park Croquet Club member Jeryl Bennett, Lower King Community Association treasurer Angela Van Der Snoek with members of the King River Christian Fellowship Maureen and Mac Cameron who all use Gomm Park Hall.

The association has been told its $10-a-year peppercorn lease for the hall will go up to more than $800 and the group will also have to pay a $660 legal bill for the creation of a new lease.

Association treasurer Angela Van Der Snoek said the cost would have a huge financial impact.

“We are going to question as to whether we can run,” she said.

Ms Van Der Snoek said the hall was used by small community groups for a small fee and they may now have to pay more too.

“We’re basically going to have to go back to all the groups that use it and say are you prepared to have your fees put up,” she said.

The City is reviewing its property management leasing policy, including appropriate rental rates for all community leases.

The news received by the Lower King association has sparked fears the City may abolish other cheap “peppercorn” leases for community halls in Albany.

City of Albany chief executive Faileen James said all leases were the assets of ratepayers and the City must consider the loss of revenue resulting from cheap leases.

Ms James said there were 90 community leases in Albany overall, of which 16 were peppercorn leases, and the terms for those 16 leases would be reviewed on their renewal.

“While the City of Albany is very conscious of the cost imposts all groups are bearing as part of usual operations, the City also must consider the loss of revenue ratepayers bear in providing peppercorn leasing terms,” she said.

Abolishing the remaining 16 peppercorn leases would raise less than $20,000 a year, she said.

Ms James said the City supported community groups, including a recent $25,000 shared funding allocation to groups in Albany.

Ms Van Der Snoek said it was not logical for the City to target community groups, which battled to survive at the best of times.

“I don’t know their motives behind it, but I’m definitely questioning them,” she said.

Redmond Progress Association president Noel Stoney said his group would not be able to pay the rent on Redmond Hall if it was raised from $10 to $836.

However, Mr Stoney said his group had not been approached about changing the lease and the City had been good to them in the past.

“They’ve been terrific,” he said. “If they leave the lease as it is we haven’t got any issues.”

keir.tunbridge@albanyadvertiser.com