20 April 2025
North Sydney Council has voted to proceed with a new venue hire agreement for North Sydney Oval despite warnings from CEO Gareth Holmes that the club faces a near 200% increase in venue hire fees compared to the 2023 season.
Speaking at last Monday night’s council meeting, Holmes praised the updated hire agreement as a step forward but raised concerns about its implications for the club.
Holmes told councillors: “For many years this document hasn’t been worth the paper it’s been written on. So to see the thoroughness of this document and this agreement is a great step forward.”
But Holmes warned that “the proposal before you states that North Sydney Bears can host a minimum of nine games per season. Our season requires us to host 12. This [is a] reduction of 25% of our games throughout the year, which is disappointing from one of the council’s most long-term hirers.”
“The ongoing viability of this grassroots club based in North Sydney [requires] certainty of us playing at a venue. We don’t have another option like that within the area. Our hire period extends from April to September. The ability to host 12 days across that five-month period does not seem like an unreasonable request.”
Holmes also said that “the significant increase in costs and hire fees” over the last two seasons presented serious challenges. “When we look back two seasons to 2023, the increase from the 2023 and 2024 season saw fees increased to the value of about 120% and as we look to this further VHA, when we look back to 2023, it’s close to a 200% increase in venue hire costs,” he said. “Whilst I understand the costs do increase and we manage CPI, this is [a] significant increase for a community hirer.”
He concluded: “I just ask Council to consider both of those items and we look forward to a favourable outcome and bringing some more great footy, rugby league, to North Sydney Oval.”
In response, a council officer explained that the number of games and fee structure had been subject to extended negotiation:
“So the nine games was negotiated for quite some months between the Bears and we do have other commitments we’re trying to fit on the Oval as well,” the officer said. “As the Council’s aware, the Oval is well utilised, extensively utilised by other groups. The fees and charges are in alignment with Council’s fees and charges and we recognise the Bears as a community club and that’s what they’re charged.”
“We have other hirers that we’re obviously charging more for the use to be able to try and, I guess, offset that and support that and continue having the Bears out there. So as I say, the nine games, it’s a nine games minimum and that was negotiated over many months… it’s difficult for me to take that and answer that question now without going back through renegotiations.”
Under the proposed agreement, North Sydney Council will allow the Bears to use North Sydney Oval from 15 April to 31 August each year, with a guaranteed minimum of nine game days annually. The Bears will cover all venue-related costs—including hire, security (excluding RSA), cleaning, lighting, waste, and multimedia screen usage—according to Council’s fees and charges.
The Bears are permitted to host one junior league community clinic free of charge each year and, subject to availability, may stage one dry hire “Bears Festival” event annually. A “Fans on the Field” activity may be permitted during main games, subject to Turf Manager approval and specific time limits.
Council will provide storage space at Bon Andrews Oval and up to 12 parking spaces for game-day use. The Oval will retain control of food and beverage operations on standard game days. The Bears must maintain $20 million in public liability insurance and may terminate the agreement early if promoted to the NRL, provided Council is notified at least 90 days before the following season. All other terms remain in line with previous agreements and standard NSO procedures.