Playing fees to soar to pay off Pulse debt

BY PENNY MILES

Families, schools and grassroots netballers in Wellington are to be slapped with a huge increase in fees this winter to repay historic Pulse debt linked to an outstanding loan to Netball New Zealand.

Kapiti Netball's affiliation fees to Netball Wellington Region will more than double from $11,000 a year to $25,000, to include two new Pulse levies. Netball Wairarapa's affiliation fees will increase from $15,000 to $30,000.

Netball Hutt Valley, Netball KapiMana and Netball Wellington all face similar increases, which will be passed on to primary school, secondary school and club players.

Regional administrators spoken to by The Dominion Post, who did not want to be named, say they are worried about the potential impact on playing numbers when the rise is communicated to schools and clubs. Some questioned why grassroots players should bail out the Pulse.

The sharp rise is being been blamed on a six-figure loan handed to the Pulse by Netball NZ in the first year of the ANZ Championships to contribute towards team running costs in 2008. Netball NZ wants its loan repaid, and with NWR unable to summon the funds, the national body has found its own solution.

Netball NZ plans to levy players in the region at a cost of $5 a junior and $10 a senior to recoup its debt.

NWR chairwoman Ann Hay said her organisation exhausted all its options when Netball NZ came knocking on its door.

Netball NZ had asked how NWR would repay the loan, and when NWR's proposed and confidential solution was deemed unacceptable, Netball NZ instituted the compulsory levy.

"Netball NZ had asked us to put forward a case as to how that was going to be repaid," Hay said.

Despite the continuing cost of the Pulse, she said it was still vital to secure the franchise's future in the region. People would miss the Pulse if it was gone.

While NWR had previously tried to keep costs low, it now realised the sport should have a greater value.

For the first time this season, players will also contribute to current Pulse franchises running costs. NWR has added a $4 levy, which becomes the second new charge.

Hay admitted some parents standing courtside may feel short-changed because they did not recognise a direct benefit from the increase.

"It's a substantial increase for juniors, because we were charging something along the lines of $1 for a junior player for the season," she said.

"Whilst we don't deliver directly to primary and intermediate, there is a whole lot of training and expertise that goes on that assists those levels in an indirect way."

Netball NZ chief executive Raelene Castle justified the proposed increase in fees. There was no other way to recoup the six-figure sum quickly, and she felt netballers of all ages received a benefit from the Pulse.

"It's not an easy debate, and we understand that it's emotional," she said.

"We believe the price levels that we've set it at are realistic. It was a significant loan amount. We have been in consultation with the region over a period of time.

"When I think about the benefit of the Pulse to the region ... do we return some benefits to grassroots level? Yes, we do."

- © Fairfax NZ News