Council investigated over aerodrome fees

A Matamata flight instructor says his club is losing members because of costs to use the publicly-owned Waharoa Aerodrome.

Sky Venture’s Peter Ryan said members of his flying club were charged

$40 per landing. He understood members of the Matamata Aero Club were charged

$50 each, per year.

But the owner of the aerodrome, Matamata-Piako District Council, said Sky Venture is a commercial operation, a business, whereas the aero club is a not-forprofit organisation.

The council said commercial users were charged $15 per day. If their fees weren’t paid in the same calendar month, the fee went up to $40.

Ryan did not consider Sky Venture a commercial operation. He said he had contacted the council in 2016 asking for his fees to be at the same level as the aero club.

He had written to the Ombudsman’s office, asking for a review, after not finding a resolution with the council.

The Ombudsman’s office confirmed it was investigating the complaint against the council.

‘‘When we wrote to the council, they told us we should join the other aero club to get the cheaper fees,’’ Ryan said. ‘‘I don’t want to join the aero club, I just want the same deal as everyone else.’’

Ryan started Sky Venture 30 years ago and said he had around 15 to 20 club members.

The council fees had stopped a number of the members flying at the airfield.

‘‘The airfield’s not supposed to make money, it’s supposed to cover costs, it’s a public facility and they forget that,’’ Ryan said.

Ryan has been a long term member of the airfield, he’d organised the airfield’s annual carnival and runs training courses for Te Aroha College students.

Matamata-Piako mayor Jan Barnes said she could not speak in detail about the matter because it was before the Ombudsman’s office.

But in a written reply, said a review of the airfield’s landing fees was underway.

She said the Matamata Aero Club paid a bulk lease to the the council each year, and the club members set their own fees to cover the costs.