Govt Cuts Fundraising Red Tape
27 June 2013 at 11:25 am
Changes to Victorian planning regulations will see sausage sizzles, fun-runs and other community fundraising events being held without the burden of applying for special building permits.
Previously under the Building Act 1993, municipal councils, community sporting groups and school councils were required to apply for a Places of Public Entertainment (POPE) occupancy permit whenever they collected funds through any sporting, recreational or other activity.
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“After years of having to comply with onerous regulations whenever they wanted to raise funds, local sporting clubs and community groups will now be able to host their events, charge admission fees and run club-room canteens with certainty and without burdensome building permit regulations,” Minister for Planning Matthew Guy said.
The Government says a number of councils, sporting clubs and community groups expressed concern and uncertainty about the POPE requirements, especially when they applied to community use of council and other outdoor recreational facilities. This complexity has caused high workloads and costs for both councils and community groups.
After 12 months of consultation with the Municipal Association of Victoria, the Australian Football League (AFL), VicSport, Sport and Recreation and Local Government, Minister Guy has approved a Building Regulation amendment allowing an exemption for these organisations to run certain events without a permit.
“Community-based and Not for Profit organisations running events that use recreational facilities larger than 500 square metres, and with less than 5,000 people attending, no longer have to apply for a POPE permit," he said.
“The Coalition Government is aware that POPE occupancy permits do not improve community safety and simply impose an unjustifiable administrative and cost burden.
“In some cases safety and emergency requirements were being duplicated at events, so POPE permit reform is a real breakthrough in unnecessary regulation and red tape.”
Community events remain subject to Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) requirements, food safety and liquor licensing regulation, and legal and insurance requirements.
