Boaties could face pay-and-display parking machines at Tauranga's Sulphur Point boat ramps in a bid by the city council to introduce user-pays.
Recovering the $60,000-a-year cost of boat ramps was part of a wide-ranging review this week of user fees and charges.
Charging to park tow vehicles and boat trailers was suggested
as a more practical way to recover costs than alternatives like licensing or barrier arms. Boat ramps were currently funded from council financial reserves.
Cr Murray Guy complained the $60,000 did not include depreciation. It was agreed, as a starting point, that proposed user-pays should cover all costs.
Cr Rick Curach opposed higher charges for out-of-town boaties, saying it was not welcoming.
"I like to be friendly to visitors."
Cr Wayne Moultrie feared that user-pays at the Pilot Bay ramp would worsen traffic congestion in the area.
Cr Greg Brownless said it might seem OK now to introduce user-pays on boat ramps, but equity issues could arise further down the track when council had decided user-pays was too difficult on other services.
"I reserve the right to change my mind."
Mayor Stuart Crosby reminded councillors about the $1m plan to build six new boat ramps at Sulphur Point within the next five years. He said it was not practical to impose user-pays on boat ramps outside of Sulphur Point. He also believed it was impractical to charge for a base level of service, and charges should be introduced when extra services for boaties were built.
Mr Crosby also cautioned against higher charges for out-of-town boaties, saying he did not pay a cracker to use Lake Rotoiti's boat ramp when he went trout fishing.
An options paper will be developed from this week's discussions, and the council's final decision would be subject to public consultation.
