At Albury -Wodonga on the New South Wales/Victoria border, parents and children are protesting the fee of $2 to enter the local sporting ground. Parents say they shouldn't have to pay the fee to watch their kids play sport. Apparently the kids who participate and the coaches along with volunteers, are forced to pay the fee upon entry. This happens even with training during the week. On match day, it would seem unfair to charge the kids who are playing, the volunteers who man the kiosks, coaches and referees/umpires. Any other person, be it parent, relative or friend should pay. This is how many councils raise revenue to fund such places. During the week, if there is another place to train, then by all means use it , but these players are using the facilities of the council/shire and to maintain them, they would have to charge an entry fee. Another way of raising the funds for upkeep is to raise land rates. Imagine the uproar the mayor and council would be facing then. To enlist a child to play sport is not cheap by any means with the required gear, insurance fees etc but I think $2 is a small price to pay to see your child play sport and worth every cent. Somewhere, somehow the money has to be raised and the council has to ensure they have full public liability also. In this day and age far too many of society expect things to be free and in reality they are not. Stop whingeing, stop being a tight ass, pay up. For the record, I happily pay a $2 entry fee to watch my son play.
See here for more on this story.
