Liverpool’s draft budget also proposes the fees that community groups, clubs, classes and regular hirers may pay to use Council-owned facilities in 2026-27.
Liverpool’s draft budget also proposes the fees that community groups, clubs, classes and regular hirers may pay to use Council-owned facilities in 2026-27.
The exhibition package includes the Draft Delivery Program 2025-2029 and Operational Plan 2026-2027, which sets out Council’s proposed annual actions and service commitments, and the Draft Revenue Pricing Policy (Fees and Charges), which includes proposed fees and charges for Council services and facilities.
One area likely to affect local residents directly is the proposed schedule for community centre hire.
While much of the public discussion around the budget is likely to focus on rates, waste charges, major projects and financial sustainability, Attachment 2: Draft FY 2026-2027 Fees and Charges sets out what different types of hirers may pay to use local halls and community facilities during 2026-27. If adopted, the fees would apply during the 2026-27 financial year.
How the hire categories work
For community centre hire, the draft schedule separates users into several categories.
Category A includes private, commercial and government organisations, including business activities and private social functions.
Category B includes community groups, organisations, agencies, micro-businesses and self-employed people providing services or activities for community members who live, work or have a connection with Council.
Category C covers funded not-for-profit community groups and agencies.
Category D is aimed at self-funded groups with minimal or no funding to run group activities or programs, including playgroups, affinity groups and social support groups.
That classification matters because proposed hire rates vary significantly depending on the category, the size of the room, and the time of the booking.
What the sample rates show
For example, under the draft schedule, the proposed Monday-to-Friday hourly hire rate, up to Friday 5pm, for a large 120 to 180-capacity community centre space would be $98.90 for Category A, $65.30 for Category B, $54.40 for Category C and $27.30 for Category D.
Smaller spaces show the same pattern. A 60 to 80-capacity space is listed at $52.20 for Category A, $34.50 for Category B, $28.60 for Category C and $14.30 for Category D for the same Monday-to-Friday period.
Many of the weekday hourly rates in the schedule, including the 120 to 180 and 60 to 80-capacity examples, specify a minimum 1.5-hour booking.
For regular users, those differences could be important.
A seniors group, playgroup, support group, cultural class, fitness class, small arts group or local club may face very different costs depending on how Council classifies the booking and when the group uses the facility.
Friday and Saturday night bookings
The draft schedule also includes a key condition for several named Council venues.
It states that category discounts do not apply to bookings conducted on Friday or Saturday nights at Phillips Park Community Centre, Carnes Hill Community Centre, Wattle Grove Community Centre, Chipping Norton Boatshed, Bringelly Community Centre, Voyager Point Community Centre, Cecil Hills Community Centre, Greenway Park Community Centre, Casula Community Centre, Heckenberg Community Centre and Hilda M Davis Community Centre.
That could be significant for community events, cultural gatherings, fundraisers, club nights or programs that rely on evening availability.
Extra charges and possible discounts
The schedule also lists additional charges that can affect the real cost of a booking, including a $1,100 refundable damage deposit bond for high-risk events and a $286.10 compulsory static guard charge for the last four hours of high-risk evening functions.
Other charges may apply for matters such as cleaning, rubbish, lost keys, late payment or booking changes.
The draft schedule does provide some flexibility.
It says hire rates are negotiable at the discretion of Community Facilities Management for mature and seniors groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, some physical and mental health support groups, emergency relief and small unincorporated self-help groups with very limited capacity to pay.
But that also means affected groups may need to check their category, their regular booking times, and whether any discretionary reduction would apply.
Why regular hirers should check
For regular hirers, the issue is not just whether a single fee has changed.
For regular hirers, even modest differences can add up across weekly classes, monthly meetings, term-based programs or community events.
Where costs are higher than a group expected, or where a group falls into a higher category, the group may need to absorb the cost, reduce activity, seek more fundraising, or pass costs on to participants.
Balancing access and upkeep
The Draft Delivery Program 2025-2029 and Operational Plan 2026-2027 also includes community infrastructure spending, including $560,000 for the action “Complete the Community Centre and Children Care Centre Rehabilitation Program”, as well as planning and design work for community facilities in growth areas.
The community centre issue is a balancing act. Council needs to maintain and renew facilities, but local groups also need hire fees that keep community activity affordable and accessible.
Have your say
Residents, clubs, class operators and community organisations can read the draft documents and make a submission through Liverpool Council’s Public Exhibitions and Notices page.
Regular hirers should check the draft category definitions against their own booking arrangements before submissions close on Monday 15 June 2026.
For groups that rely on Council facilities, the key questions are direct: what category will you be placed in, what time and day do you hire, what extra charges could apply, and will the proposed fee structure make it easier or harder to keep serving the community?
Source: Liverpool City Council Public Exhibitions and Notices page; Draft Delivery Program 2025-2029 and Operational Plan 2026-2027; CORP 05 – For Public Exhibition – Draft 2026-27 Budget and Revenue Pricing Policy (Fees and Charges), and Long-term Financial Plan 2027-2036; Attachment 2: Draft FY 2026-2027 Fees and Charges; Liverpool City Council Statement of Revenue Policy 2026-2027; and 18 May 2026 CORP 05 supplementary addendum attachments.
