BDO Renwick Sports & Events Centre

Increase reimbursement of Centre Manager wages from 20 hours ($600) per week to 30 hours ($900) per week, totalling $46,800 annually and include a clause to continue an annual incremental increase in line with CPI.  This brings wages grant in line with CPI as there has been no increase since 2013.
Increase grounds maintenance grant from $66,000 to $86,000 per year and include a clause to continue an annual incremental increase in line with CPI.  This brings grounds grant in line with CPI as there has been no increase since 2018.
Background 
The BDO Renwick Sports & Events Centre is a community owned building that opened in November 2009, situated at the council owned recreation grounds at Uxbridge Street in Renwick. Our mission statement is “to be a leading venue for sport, recreation, social events and conferences by providing excellent facilities, services, programmes and support to enhance the experience of the sports codes and wider community”. The building and grounds itself have not had anything done to it since this date and has since lost its functionality due to the change in its usage over 15 years ago. As a not-for-profit organization, we require additional support to improve our building and grounds to make it suitable for the community user groups. We currently have many users - such as conferences, seminars, weddings and fundraising events, fitness classes, youth sports groups and charity groups such as the Graham Dingle Foundation. We also host the Marlborough Wine & Food festival which brings over 7500 people through our facility per year. Hosting this event also takes a large toll on our staffing resources, building and grounds condition. Since opening, the Centre has been used extensively by our member clubs including rugby, football, cricket, tennis, bowls and marching. We have been firmly established as one of five Marlborough Community Hubs. Healthy relationships have been built with the Sports Tasman coordinator to find ways to encourage the community’s awareness and use of the facilities.
Centre Manager 
The Centre Manager is responsible for running the Centre on a day-to-day basis as a business. Since the opening of the Centre in 2009 the Renwick Sports Centre Board has been the employer of the Centre Manger. The Centre manager now also reports to Regan Russell within the Marlborough Hubs in the aim to keep Renwick Sports Centre in an upwards growth trend. 
The Centre Manager plays a crucial role in coordinating and overseeing all our community events and programs. In 2025, this included successful initiatives like Tumble Tots, the Marlborough Wedding Fair, Santa’s Grotto and The Festival of Wheels. Without the increased hours of the Centre Manager, the Renwick Sports Centre would struggle to continue expanding its community programs and engagement.
Organizing and running these community events is a significant time investment, and while the revenue generated may not cover the costs, the value they bring to the community is immeasurable. The increased involvement and positive impact on local residents far outweigh the financial aspects which the Centre has to cover to bring these to the community.
Staff 
As the centre provides bar facilities it is necessary for the Centre Manager to employ suitable bar staff on a casual basis. Bar staff report directly to the Centre Manager and are trained to carry out their duties to meet Liquor Licensing regulations. In addition to bar staff the centre employees include a cleaner who completes 10 hours a week and additional staff members to assist with our Tumble Tots program, setting up and running events and running the tuck shop for sports. 
Volunteers 
Volunteers at the centre are unpaid and apart from the Board of 7 community members fall into two groups. 
Activity Volunteers These are individuals who run various activities at the centre for no pecuniary gain e.g. rugby and football coaches. 
Event Volunteers: Those who help with the running of events such as Wine & Food
Council Role 
The Council is the owner of the sports grounds that are leased by the Renwick Sports Centre. It is responsible for the public toilets on the side of the building, the carpark, the skatepark and the pump track.
The building and maintenance and improvements of the grounds are all managed by the Renwick Sports Centre which is fostered by the Council.
The Renwick Sports Centre graciously thanks the Marlborough District Council for their tremendous support in funding our lift repair as well as their ongoing support of the boards endeavours to create a premium rural multi-sports facility.
Operational Report 
The Centre has seen a large increase in support from the Community due to new management and despite closure during Covid has recovered to beyond pre-Covid levels. 
The Renwick Sports Centre engages with the community in two different ways: 
Activities - run by the Centre itself to encourage community involvement. 
Events – run by various groups and individuals. These activities use the Centre services.
The activities at the Centre fall into three main categories: 
Club:
We have 5 clubs that use the Centre facilities and grounds. These members pay an affiliation fee in exchange for discounted rental and use of the grounds and facilities.
These clubs are:
Renwick Rugby Club
Renwick Cricket Club
Renwick Tennis Club
Renwick Football Club
Renwick Marching Club
We are currently working closely with other sports clubs to foster and create more opportunities for youth in the local area to become engaged in different sports codes including netball and rugby league.
Community
These are not for profit organisations that receive discounted hireage of the building and grounds in which the Centre subsidises the fees as a goodwill donation due to the Centre being a community building.
Crusaders Under 20’s
Oranga Tamariki
Rifitimi Church Group
Pasifika 7’s tournament
Renwick School
Tumble Tots
Yoga and Fitness Classes
Defensive Driving Course
Council meetings
Wine & Food Festival
Christmas Market
Santas Grotto
Festival of Wheels
ACC Yoga
NZ  Police
Commercial
This hireage is charged at our full rates
Conferences
Weddings
Company Anniversary events
Marlborough Grape Growers Co-operative
Crest Commercial Cleaning
Indevin Harvest Party
Wine & Food Festival
Centre Use
Over the last year BDO Renwick Sports Centre participation numbers have continued to increase with usage of the centre, reporting an overwhelming average of 22.60 hours of usage per week in the year to August 2025, totalling 1175 hours for the year. This yields an increase of 13.69% on the 2024 year. These hours are limited to the building only and do not include any sports training or game days due to the ease of tracking.
 

Application for Funds:
Annual grounds increase
To accommodate the increased demand for the grounds maintenance and ensure the adequate upkeep of the grounds, an adjustment in annual grounds maintenance funding is imperative. Below is a breakdown of the necessary increases:
Mowing Costs Increase:
With a 31% increase in mowing costs, which now amounts to our total current grounds grant from the council of $66,000, the annual grounds maintenance budget needs to be adjusted accordingly. This increase is crucial to maintain the condition and safety of the sports fields and surrounding areas.
Waste Removal:
The rise in freedom campers and increased usage of the facilities leads to a higher volume of waste to be removed regularly. We have now had to employ a person to come around on a daily basis to empty the bin by the skatepark and pick up any rubbish around the grounds. This cost is no longer incorporated into our mowing contract and thus additional funds are required to cover the expenses associated with waste collection and disposal.
Village Green and Skatepark Maintenance:
As the usage of the village green and skatepark increases, there is a need for more frequent maintenance to ensure cleanliness and safety. This includes addressing issues such as rubbish removal, graffiti, and general upkeep.
Rotational Grounds Improvements:
Neglected grounds require ongoing improvements to bring them up to standard. Rotational maintenance for each sports code is essential to prevent further deterioration and ensure that all facilities are in optimal condition for use. When other grounds in town close, we become the bad weather overflow with large rugby games and football games directed out to Renwick without our knowledge, creating more grounds damage without the additional funds for the further wear and tear that this causes. 
In 2018, the original grant amount was enough to cover costs. As costs have increased, our grants have not increased and outside funders have tightened or changed their criteria. This means we have not fit into their boxes and have fallen into a grey area where we are ineligible for large funders including Rata Foundation, Pub Charity and DIA. Therefore, we have been unable to attain funds for the purposes of maintaining the grounds into a condition acceptable to the council and the wider community. Based on the increase in CPI since 2018, our original grant amount of $66,000 adjusted would be $85,767 as of 2025.
Based on these factors, I recommend increasing the annual grounds maintenance funding from $66,000 to a new budget of $86,000 for the 2026/2027 year and include a clause that continues this increase in line with CPI annually. This adjustment and inclusion of an ongoing incremental increase will enable comprehensive upkeep of the upgraded sports facilities and surrounding areas, ensuring a safe, clean, and enjoyable environment for all users. 
Annual Wages Increase
In the past we have received an annual grant of $30,000 from the Council to help with the wage cost of the manager. We are now running with a Centre manager on an increased wage and increased hours required due to the high traffic we now have through the Centre and the grounds. Therefore, we propose that this be raised to $46,800 per annum and to be reviewed annually to be adjusted in with CPI and inflation.
In 2013, the original grant amount was enough to cover cost of wages. As costs have increased, our grants have not increased and any additional income that we have been making has been going back into maintaining the building and the grounds due to the increased costs in the past 12 years. Based on the increase in CPI since 2013, our original grant amount of $30,000 which was to cover 20 hours a week adjusted would be $41,214 as of 2025 and not cover the minimum required hours. The Centre managers role has largely evolved since 2013 due to the increase in community events, outreach and the large amount of compliance that this role must cover. 
As we have been receiving the same funding amount of $30,000 since 2013 where the minimum wages has increased from $14.25 and is now $23.50, a 65% increase.  Although our manager is not paid minimum wage, an increase in the grant amount is well overdue to bring the previously funded amount in line with the increase in the costs over the last 12 years. We aim to pay our manager well to compensate for the lack of work/life balance that this job offers. The currently funded amount of $30,000 spread across 52 weeks at 30 hours a week that is required of the Centre manager works out to be $19.23 an hour which is below minimum wage