CLUBS HIT
Small Casterton sporting clubs hit by licence fee increases

24 February 2010

IAN LEWIS

THE pain of operating small sporting clubs in the Casterton area has been increased three-fold, thanks to a State Government decision to increase liquor licence fees.

As reported in the Casterton News on January 27, all hotels in the district face increases in their licence fees to address alcohol-related violence at high-risk Victorian venues, based mainly in the Melbourne Metropolitan area.

At the time, most said they had been hit with a double whammy by virtue of a huge increase in their fire levy, which is part of their annual insurance bill.

Coupled with cheap liquor outlets in Hamilton, Portland and Mt Gambier, publicans said it was harder than ever to make a living.

Now, small clubs such as the Casterton Football-Netball Club, the Casterton racing Club, the Casterton Bowling Club and the Casterton Golf Club will have to pay increases of up to 400 per cent to serve alcohol at functions, matches and celebrations and they fear the repercussions.

Football club treasurer Michael Betinsky said the club had two licences; one for the social rooms and one for the barbecue area where the club sold alcohol as well steaks, sausages, hamburgers and other foodstuffs.

Mr Betinsky said the licence for the social rooms increased from about $600 to $800, an increase of 33 per cent, while the outdoor licence at the club's booth went from $87 to $397, a staggering 456 per cent increase in 12 months.

“The licence fee for the barbecue area was the one that stood out in my mind as being exorbitant,” he said.

“The other licence is a full social club licence and was pretty much on a par, I think. It is to do with all the other factors that they multiply together to give them some kind of a figure to base their charges.

“They have a risk fee they add to the base fee then multiply that by the venue capacity multiplier which gives the annual licence renewal fee,” he explained.

But, nowhere is there any mention of previous convictions or problems the venue may have had when assessing the new fee even though the new fee will go towards the $35 million the government claims it costs to regulate and police licensed venues.

With the new fee based on venue capacity, it goes without saying the government considered the area outside of the club rooms at Island Park a greater risk than the actual club rooms.

“The club rooms can only hold about 100-150 people but you can get more than 1000 people into the ground,” Mr Betinsky said.

“That is why they are saying our fees have increased by so much.”

He acknowledged the club would have to carry the extra charges because if it increased the price of alcohol, no-one would buy it at the ground. He said the club would not consider closing the booth and only sell alcohol from the club rooms.

“All that would do is take away the convenience for supporters. A lot of them won't want to waltz in and out of the club rooms all the time.

“The teams are down there (booth), the barbecue is down there and everything else supporters need. So, I guess what we have done this year is bite the bullet and pay it.

“But it means we have to make $400 before we even pay our licence fee, whereas last year it was just $87.

“We are not as bad off as some of the smaller clubs, we can wear the extra fee,” he said.

Casterton racing Club secretary Jane Richardson said the club's licence fee went up three-fold this year even though it stages just four events a year.

“Because we operate for only about four days a year we have to apply for a temporary liquor licence,” she said.

“Last year it $30 for three race meetings; before Christmas it went up to $60 and I have just done another one and it has gone up to $109 for a temporary licence and that only covers us for two days,” she said.

That means, the club has to get two temporary licences for its four days of racing and, if the club is used for private functions, such as weddings, 21st birthday parties and such, the club has to get another temporary licence for the occasion.

“We also have a lot more paperwork to do, including maps showing where the licensed areas will be and security arrangements so that people cannot walk out of the course with alcohol they purchased inside the course.

Consumer Affairs Minister Tony Robinson said that until this year, liquor licence fees recovered only $15m towards the annual $35m policing and regulating expenses.

Mr Robinson claims the new fees would pay for 120 extra police and the liquor licensing directorate. However, do not count on any extra police being posted to Casterton, Coleraine, Sandford, Dergholm, Merino, Digby or Branxholme to boost police numbers in the area.

The changes came into effect on January 1.