New reforms spearheaded by The Barossa Council are aimed at making community use of Council facilities fair, accountable and transparent.
Council is seeking community feedback on the draft Lease, Licence and Hire Permit Policy.
The framework aims to ensure all community members as individuals, groups or organisations have opportunity to access Council facilities, and that Council’s fees and charges structure provides equity and value for money.
Mayor Bim Lange says historically there have been inconsistencies in the way Council has managed leases, licences and hire permits.
“Our fee structure has not reflected the many different user groups in our community, how our community facilities are used and by whom,” he said.
“This has led to fee inequity and use agreements that are either too simple, overly complex or aren’t reflective of community standards.
“For example, welfare and not-for-profit organisations are very different users to groups with a large membership base, income stream or commercial orientation, and therefore their capacity to pay is vastly different.
In spearheading reform, our aim is to increase fairness and equity in the use of Council facilities, according to the user and the type of activity being undertaken.”
As part of the reforms, Council is also clarifying the roles and responsibilities of user groups, so they understand the expectations that come with using Council facilities.
“As well as having more clarity, groups may also have more autonomy to work with others who share their facilities, removing what’s commonly known as Council red tape,” said Mayor Lange.
