By Tony Gee
KAIKOHE - Far North trailer boat owners and other boaties who use district council-owned launching ramps and trailer parks will soon be asked to pay up to $50 a year under a proposed user-pays scheme.
The Far North District Council has approved a plan by its three-member maritime task group to introduce daily, weekly, monthly or annual charges for launching trailer boats on its boat ramps and for parking trailers on council land near the ramps.
Public comment is now being sought on the plan before a bylaw is passed to introduce the charges.
The council owns 21 ramps. Many of the boats that use them come from outside the Far North, especially in summer.
Task group chairman Robert Lowe says the proposed charges are $5 a day, $10 a week, $20 a month or $50 a year.
Ratepayers would get a $10 reduction on the annual fee.
The levies would finance the maintenance and repair of the ramps and construction of new ones.
In the Hokianga, an $8 a property annual charge in the local community board rate is recommended to meet the costs of running five community wharves.
An annual mooring charge of $20 for owners of the 1860 swing moorings in the district is also proposed.
The $20 fee, reducing to $16 for local ratepayers who own moorings, will pay the costs of running four non-commercial wharves in the Bay of Islands, Whangaroa and Mangonui Harbours.
$50 annual fee for Far North boat ramp users
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