Sports clubs query sizzle restrictions
Several sports clubs have had their sausages in a sizzle – or not, as the case may be – over Porirua City Council’s sale of food policies.
For the past 18 months Eastern Mobile Catering – husband and wife team Carl and Kath Haerewa – have held an exclusive contract to sell food at 10 grounds in Porirua, including Ascot Park, Porirua Park and Ngatitoa Domain.
Porirua Vikings recently contacted Kapi-Mana News frustrated that this contract prevented them from holding sausage sizzle fundraisers for home games at Porirua Park.
Vikings’ chairperson Pania Houkamau- Ngaheu accepted the Haerewas had a business to run, but it should not preclude the club holding barbecues.
‘‘[Mr Haerewa] told us we were ‘raking in the dollars’ and it was having an impact on business, but we’re making probably $220 each of the three or four times we have games at Porirua Park.
‘‘We are about people and helping our club, not profit.’’
Mr Haerewa says he pays a ‘‘huge rent’’ to sell at the parks and sausage sizzles at Porirua Park undercut his business.
He sub-leases to other vendors at a number of other Porirua grounds.
‘‘This is a problem the Vikings have. I used to give them a cut of my takings [10 per cent] at Ascot Park and Porirua Park before I had to get a lease.
‘‘Clubs complain to the council but they won’t come talk to me directly, which is sad. They can sell food at places like Bunnings, The Warehouse or Pak ’n Save, where I can’t. I’m just trying to run a business.’’
Ngati Toa Netball Club set up a Facebook page as a protest after council told by them to halt their regular Saturday sausage sizzle following a complaint from Mr Haerewa.
‘‘Competition is good for all, but their profits go in their pockets, ours go towards helping the community,’’ said the club on its web page.
Hockey administrator Rex Manning, who helped fundraise for the Elsdon Park hockey turf, says they were also told recently they could not hold fundraising sausage sizzles there.
With representative hockey tournaments coming up, young players needed every cent they could get.
‘‘We don’t want to do it [sizzles] every weekend but intermittently as travelling for hockey is very costly.’’
The council has now clarified the rules. In accordance with the Eastern Mobile Catering contract, clubs can sell basic cooked food (sausages and bacon sandwiches) at home grounds, but in the case of the Vikings, this is Ascot Park, not Porirua Park.
PCC leisure assets and services manager Karyn Stilwell said she understood the netball club’s complaint as Mr Haerewa rarely sold food at the netball court end of Ngatitoa Domain. But the Vikings must recognise there were special rules at Porirua Park.
‘‘They are the club based on that [Ascot Park] ground and can hold sausage sizzles there. But when they book Porirua Park they book a venue which has different rules – Eastern Mobile has the commercial right to sell hot food there.’’
Clubs with clubroom kitchens at grounds – such as Northern United and Paremata- Plimmerton rugby clubs – face fewer restrictions.
Ms Stilwell says the council will ‘‘keep an eye’’ on the situation and everyone will have the opportunity to comment on the contract when it comes up for renewal next year.
The existing contract provides for 20 per cent of the revenue in the parks budget.
She recommends sports clubs seek clarification from PCC on what food they can sell if unsure.
Sharon Woodmass from Ngati Toa Netball said she was happy to have the matter resolved but was concerned at the lack of communication.
Wellington Rugby League’s general manager Jason Hemson says the issue is one that requires ‘‘better communication’’ from PCC, as their clubs have had no notification of the rules for food selling.