Proposed ramp launch fee hike rocks the boat
Nelson boaties say proposed ramp launch fees are too much for the facilities available.
Nelson City Council is proposing to increase the launch fees at the Nelson Marina boat ramp by 150% next financial year, causing the per launch fee to jump from $6 to $15.
The price for a year’s annual launching permit would also increase from $125 to $312.50.
Currently, the boat ramp’s revenue is $30,000 but the total cost to operate the boat ramp is $90,000. The shortfall is filled by other revenue streams from the marina.
Increasing the launch fees by 150% would increase the ramp’s revenue to about $65,000.
The $90,000 cost of operating the boat ramp covers dockhand wages, maintenance and upkeep, rates paid to the council by the marina, utilities, insurance, depreciation, resource consent compliance, waste collection, and security services.
Elected members were presented with the proposed hike in a report at the beginning of the month.
The report compared the increased fee of $15 to Motueka’s charge of $15 per use ($30 total to launch and retrieve) and to the $14 fee for Marlborough’s ramps in Havelock, Picton, and Waikawa.
But Nelson’s boaties say that the increased price is too much, considering what facilities are available at the ramp.
“That’s a big increase for someone who might use the ramp two or three times a week during the summer… especially if they’re not going to see anything for that money,” said Dawnbreakers Fishing Club president Phil Chilton. “I imagine there will be quite a lot of pushback.”
Chilton thought that a staggered increase over several years would be more palatable to boaties who, he suggested, might attempt to launch without paying if the price jumps immediately to $15.
Regular boat ramp user Dan Govier said that comparing prices between Nelson and Havelock’s boat ramp facilities is disingenuous as “they are in a completely different league”.
Havelock Marina has several facilities for boaties, he said, including disposal sites for general rubbish, plastic, glass, and waste oil, a four-bay washdown areas for boats,
good toilet facilities, overflow parking and security.
In contrast, Govier said that Nelson Marina boat ramp has “poor” facilities with only two washdown bays with poor drainage and waste facilities only for fish frames.
“I have no problem paying more money for good facilities in return, but that is not what is proposed for Nelson,” he said.
He added that many people already don’t pay the launch fee and that boat ramp revenue could be increased simply by improving enforcement.
Parking was a significant concern for both men. The available parks overflow frequently with cars and boat trailers parking down the length of Akersten Street for hundreds of metres, creating an increasingly congested environment.
Some expansion of parking, and moving sea sport groups to a new facility and boat ramp at the end of Akersten St, are expected to ease some of the congestion problems in future years.
The boat ramp launch fee is not yet confirmed and will be consulted on in the coming months as the council develops its 2024-34 Long Term Plan and its updated Schedule of Fees and Charges.
Mayor Nick Smith wasn’t happy with the proposal and, pending community feedback, would prefer to see a staggered increase. “My hope is that … we might reconsider and that we might better take into account those real cost pressures that are impacting on Nelsonians.”