Tennis club scores match point on council fee

Bunbury Tennis Club president Alex Karatamoglou has praised Bunbury City Council's "common sense" decision on a new lease for its tennis courts.

Councillors this week rejected a recommendation, based on advice from council staff, for the club to pay about $9000 a year to use courts at Hay Park.

The club was facing the prospect of paying six times more than this year's $1500 fee.

But councillors agreed at Tuesday's general meeting to a motion by Cr Murray Cook for the club to pay $3040 next year and an annual 2.5 per cent increase the following four years.

Some club members in the public gallery for the debate applauded when the decision was made.

Mr Karatamoglou said the club members had considered and agreed to pay the revised fee.

"At the end of the day, all the councillors could see common sense," he said.

At the previous council meeting, Mr Karatamoglou told councillors that the club could not afford to pay about $9000 a year to use the tennis courts.

Mr Karatamoglou had dubbed it "a slap in the face" and said the council had threatened goodwill with the club.

The initial fee sum was calculated through a new council system known as the Rent Tier Matrix.

Mayor Gary Brennan backed the system but said the council's policy review committee would review the valuation process for council-owned assets.

Mr Brennan has questioned whether it is fair to use a commercial valuation for a property used by a not-for-profit group.

The council's chief executive officer, Andrew Brien, is reviewing the valuation issue.