Sailing club objects to outrageous NSW Crown Lands fee.
Port Hacking Open Sailing Club is under threat of closure due to massively increased fees from the NSW Crown Lands Department. PHOSC is a community-based, fully volunteer club, with the club's primary income being annual fees paid by members.
Founded in 1945, PHOSC has occupied a waterfront site in Yowie Bay, Port Hacking since 1957. The club sails every weekend and its main focus has always been to introduce people to the great sport of sailing through its annual "Learn to Sail" classes. The club is run by a group of enthusiastic volunteers with a love for sailing and sharing their passion with the community. PHOSC was formed in 1945 to help rebuild the St George and Sutherland Shire community after the privations of WW2, and is now celebrating its 80th year of operating for the benefit and enjoyment of the community.
The majority of the club is positioned on Council-owned land. However, a small part of the facility sits over the water and requires a permissive occupancy licence controlled by the NSW Crown Lands Department. This has been an ongoing arrangement for decades — last year's annual fee was $664 PA — but the club's latest invoice from NSW Crown Lands is a 1,400% increase, bringing it to a staggering $9,908 per annum.
This is without justification or due diligence as to how that unprecedented increase would affect a small volunteer-run sports club and the community it serves. PHOSC is a completely volunteer-run amateur sports club without restaurants, poker machines or a liquor licence — the club relies on annual subscriptions for its income. Many families in the community appreciate that their children can enjoy sport at a small grass-roots club without the influence of gambling or alcohol sales. This fee increase will place PHOSC in an untenable position and force the club to close after operating successfully for the benefit of the St George & Sutherland Shire and other communities for the past 80 years.
The Crown Lands Department has also disregarded the fact that PHOSC does not have exclusive use of the PO area in question. Of the 377 m² covered by our Crown Lands Permissive Occupancy Licence, only 20% is utilised by the club to store sailing dinghies. The other 80% of the waterfront area is open to the public seven days a week, year-round, with access controlled by Sutherland Shire Council.
Without the sailing club's existence there would be absolutely no waterfront access due to the steep topography of the site, nor would any of the facilities exist — the upper and lower concrete viewing decks, floating pontoon and ramp, and toilet facilities are all available to the general public and the sailing community. All of these facilities were originally built by the club, and all maintenance and upkeep of the site is paid for by the sailing club at no cost to the NSW Government.
Unless the status quo is restored by NSW Crown Lands Revenue Department to around $664 annual PO fee (in line with most sailing clubs around Sydney Harbour), PHOSC will not be a financially viable sports club and will cease to operate. The loss of PHOSC will impact the many community groups that utilise the club's facilities — Scouts Australia, Christian youth camps (Youthworks – Royal National Park), PCYC, local community swimming groups, school mothers' groups and Marine Rescue Solander.
NSW Crown Lands Department's unyielding revenue demands upon a small volunteer-run, community club is an unprecedented and unjustifiable money grab, demonstrating total disregard for the people they serve and the benefits of volunteer-run community organisations.
PHOSC has appealed the Crown Lands fee with submissions sent to NSW Premier The Hon. Chris Minns MP and NSW Crown Lands Minister The Hon. Steve Kamper MP. Assisting the club with our appeal to the Government are The Hon. Mark Speakman MP, The Hon. Stephanie Cooke MP, The Hon. Lorraine Overall MLC and Australian Sailing.
PHOSC hopes to resolve this issue for the benefit of the community and all volunteer-run organisations that in their own way help contribute to the overall fabric of modern society.
Regards,
Scott Roberts — PHOSC Commodore
See also: Commodore responds to NSW Crown Lands' justification → and the story in The St George & Sutherland Shire Leader →.
