DV Council special meeting on Monday to sort Rowing Club lease

UPDATE: Derwent Valley Council will reconvene in a special session on December 23 because of errors in formulating a new lease arrangement with the New Norfolk Rowing Club.

Management says a Council decision of December 10 was invalid because it was decided without receiving qualified advice as required by the Local Government Act.

Councillors have been advised that the club has not provided council with reasons it should be exempt from paying rates and land tax, imposts that are paid by more than a dozen other local sports and related clubs.

While it was proposed that the club pay $2000 a year in rent in lieu off paying rates, the significant rates cost would shift to ratepayers. The Club currently pays more than $8000 a year in rates.

The motion to be debated on December 23 will attempt to form an arrangement that puts the rowing club on the same basis as other local clubs and meet the Local Government Act provisions.

EARLIER: New Norfolk Rowing Club is now just days away from signing a long-term lease for its club house on the Esplanade.

The agreement brings to a conclusion a full ten year's of negotiation allowing the Club’s relocation across the Derwent.

This week at its last meeting for 2024, Derwent Valley Council made its final revisions to a 50-year lease agreement.

Club president Peter Nichols told the Gazette after Tuesday’s Council vote: “This is a good outcome all round,” he said, “for the Club, for Council and for the wider community. This is good for rowing and other users of the facilities, including the Dragon Boats.”

He added: “The club is also very appreciative for the support of the Mayor and Councillors who approved the lease on December 10.”

The decision by Council this week was met by applause from the public gallery, which included a contingent of club supporters along with members of the Derwent Valley Ratepayers Association.

While the club building was completed five years ago, the Esplanade land is owned by Council. The Club had previously been promised transfer of title, including in writing, but Councillors preferred a long-term lease.

Mr Nichols said the agreement, which he expects the Club to sign, comes ten years – almost to the day – since the Club had its first meeting to build a new club on the opposite side of the Derwent, at the Esplanade site. 

The relocation eliminated serious safety concerns related to rowers carrying long rowing boats across a main road that was experiencing increased traffic including log trucks.

The Club’s 50-year lease document includes an annual rental of $2000 plus GST, with CPI increases. It will not pay land tax and rates, but meet state levies for fire and waste and council waste levies.

 The new, final arrangement comes a week prior to the expiry of the construction licence for the facility.

For Council, the rowing club agreement crosses off its top priority from a list of legacy issues needing to be resolved.

This includes management of the Peppermint Hill tip and its shop, now back under Council control, and recently, the New Norfolk Caravan Park, where a jumble of ad hoc arrangements were exposed by the recent flooding.

Council has since moved to streamline and update its regulation of the park and its leasing arrangements.

Council had resolved in July 2024 to give control of the NNRC funded and constructed adjacent car park on the land parcel to the Club.

“This removed a major obstacle to an agreement,” General Manager Ron Sanderson told Councillors said in briefing notes.

He added council management’s own optimism about this week’s agreement. “The finalisation and signing of the lease agreement will provide certainty of tenure of the Page Avenue site for the New Norfolk Rowing Club and council,” he wrote.

Councillors – including Wayne Shoobridge, Justin Derksen and Phil Bingley – have already indicated their strong support for the 50-year agreement.

Cr Matt Hill said councillors had attempted many motions to resolve the issue for the benefit of the council, the rowing club and the community.

“I believe that, finally, both parties – the council and the rowing club – are happy with this document for the lease,” he told Tuesday’s meeting.