Pool fees to remain higher

Peninsula Leisure Centre pool entry fees will remain higher than Gosford Olympic Pool, despite Cr Vicki Scott's call for Gosford Council to have a standard pricing system.

Cr Scott failed to get backing for a standard entry fee of $2.90 for children aged five to 16 for both venues at a council meeting on April 8.

In a report made to council, staff estimated a loss of more than $15,500 if the Woy Woy pool entry fee for children aged five to 16 be reduced to $2.90.

The report stated: "Applying a standard entry fee to a single age group of five to 16 year olds would generate $15,758.10 less income than would have otherwise been generated if the suggested entry fees for the centres were to apply."

Council agreed that the fee at Woy Woy remain at $3.30 for at least two years, allowing the fees at Gosford to catch up, resulting in an across the board entrance fee for both centres.

Prior to council's recent price adjustment the Woy Woy entry fee for five to nine year olds was $3 and $3.60 for 10 to 16 year olds.

The entry fee for Gosford will be set at $2.90 for children aged five to 16.

Entry fees for children aged zero to four remain free at both locations.

Council also approved plans to review entry fees if any future changes to the official school leaving ages be recognised.

Cr Scott said she did not believe children on the Peninsula should be charged a higher fee than children at Gosford just because the facilities were more modern on the Peninsula.

"Children across the area should be charged the same fee whether five or 16 years old," Cr Scott said.

"I don't think we should be discriminating one side of the community from the other."

Council agenda SF.S14/1, 8 Apr 2008