By TONY GEE
KAIKOHE - Far North boaties will soon face ramp-launching and trailer-boat parking charges for using any of the 20 boat ramps owned by the district council.
The Far North District Council has decided to join a handful of other local authorities throughout the country that require trailer-boat owners to pay monthly or annual charges for using ramps to launch boats or to park their trailers on council-owned parking areas nearby.
The amount to be charged has not been calculated but the scheme is likely to operate on a prepaid sticker basis under a maritime bylaw modelled on that now in effect at Lake Taupo.
There, about $100,000 is raised from an annual charge of just under $50. This is paid by boaties using 17 ramps around the lake and by those who park their boat trailers on council property.
In the Far North, enforcement and administration costs of the planned sticker system are put at around $100,000, meaning that amount of income would be needed from ramp users and trailer-boat owners for the system to break even.
After a meeting in Kaikohe called to discuss the issue late last week, the chairman of the Far North council's maritime task group, Kerikeri councillor Dr Robert Lowe, said a likely annual charge might be similar to that paid at Lake Taupo.
There could be a daily charge of $2 or more, or weekly or monthly charges.
No detailed calculations had been done yet, although an indication of the fee, together with a new annual mooring charge, should be known by the end of next month.
Dr Lowe said the task group aimed to have the appropriate empowering bylaw and charges in place by July 1, or by October at the latest.
Enforcement of the ramp-launching and trailer-boat parking charges may be undertaken by the equivalent of parking wardens or could be let out to a contractor.
Warning tickets are likely to be issued initially to trailer and boat owners not displaying authorised stickers.
Instant fines could be levied against people who do not pay the set charge.
Dr Lowe said it was hoped the charges could be made in conjunction with a recent Northland Regional Council move to collect navigation light fees from boaties in the north.
The task group does not know how many pleasure boats there are in the Far North district that could attract charges. It will ask Statistics New Zealand for information to help to gauge potential income from the scheme.
One reason given for the proposed sticker payment regime is the funding depreciation the council has to pay on all its 20 boat ramps under new local body legislation.
"Some of these ramps are in bad condition and need major repairs or extended parking areas near them for trailers and cars," Dr Lowe said.
Sticker payment would help finance this work.
Several coastal communities within the district had also asked the council for boat ramps to be built in their areas where there are no launching facilities.
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