Netball helpers forced to pay
Volunteer netball coaches, umpires and club committee members will be charged a compulsory fee, sparking claims it will discourage participation in WA's most popular female sport.
Netball clubs are outraged that Netball WA plans to charge each volunteer $20 to give their time.
The fee was to be $45 until a backlash, but a Netball WA memorandum to clubs and associations obtained by _The West Australian _flags it is likely to increase to $45 next year, pending a review.
A $45 fee will still be charged to community-level coaches and umpires in accreditation programs and State-level coaches, team managers, physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, umpires and scorers.
About 36,000 netballers were registered in WA last year and it is expected this fee will apply to about 3000 volunteers.
Netball WA chief executive Simon Taylor denied it was a cash grab, saying it was simply enforcing an existing "non-playing membership" fee that had not been policed. Only about 1000 non-playing members had paid fees previously.
"We have to make sure everyone makes their contribution," Mr Taylor said.
"It only captures a certain group of people who have significant roles of responsibility within their club or their association or region.
"Primarily, that's coaches, umpires or committee members. It's not the canteen lady or those sorts of people." He said it was about good governance and helping to build capacity in regions, associations and clubs.
"It's definitely not about saying we don't want people to volunteer but you have to make a contribution to build your member-based organisation," Mr Taylor said.
Former Australian netball captain Yvonne Rate, a past executive director of the Women in Sport Foundation and president of the Coastal Netball Region, said participation would fall.
Many clubs would pass the cost on to players rather than slug volunteers, which would make netball less affordable.
"What impact does that have on a family who might have two or three or four kids playing," Rate said. "We need to keep this sport readily accessible to kids.
"Why would we impose this ridiculous fee?"
Melville Lakers Netball Club president Sharyn Smith said the fee, which was imposed on her club by the Fremantle Netball Association for the first time this year, was unfair.
"FNA have been trying to dispute it," she said. "Those people who volunteer their time should not have to pay a fee to do so.
"It's hard enough to get volunteers. It's your personal time you're giving, so to give money as well is a lot to give."
