Latest news with #Standen
Global News
02-08-2025
- Business
- Global News
Commercial boat owners say Kelowna city fees unfair, bad for tourism
Boating is one of the Okanagan's s most popular summer attractions, but those in the business of renting watercraft are urging the City of Kelowna to rethink a policy they say not only unfairly targets them but hurts local tourism. 'I just feel that as the people who bring. you know, one of the local amenities that brings people to this town, that we're being unfairly targeted,' said Max Standen, who owns Okanagan Luxury Boat Club. The city is cracking down on a bylaw it first implemented in 2022. The bylaw mandates commercial boat operators pay $2,000 per vessel every year to help pay for the operation and maintenance of two city-owned boat launches. For Standen and his fleet of 20 vessels, the bylaw means a $50,000 expense, despite a handful of his boats not even operational right now for various reasons. Story continues below advertisement 'For me to pay for those vessels while they are not even generating revenue and we don't really know when they could come back…that's also a major financial hardship,' he told Global News. Corey Severin, who owns Kelowna Seadoo Rentals, is concerned the added costs make it tough to operate a watercraft rental business. 'I'm not sure how they think we just have that money to give, especially with operating the business. It's expensive,' Severin said. 'Machines are expensive, insurance is expensive, fuel is expensive. The boat operators say they feel they're being punished as licensed and legitimate commercial operations, because the fees don't apply to the many people who rent boats privately and use the boat launches regularly, as well. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's like picking on one and not the other,' Severin said, referring to those private boat owners not having to pay up. Both Standen and Severin added that with tourism already taking a hit due to economic factors, the fees could be hurtful to the local economy. 'It could severely impact the end user as we'll have to reflect these fees onto our end customers,' Standen said. 'It's already teetering in becoming too expensive for the general public to access this amenity.' Story continues below advertisement 5:11 Keeping Boating Safety top of Mind This Summer The enforcement of the bylaw is so concerning that a number of commercial boat operators have now banded together and formed the 'Kelowna Marine Tourism Association' to push the city to create a more equal fee structure model so that all users of boat launches contribute to their maintenance. The newly-formed association would like to see a per-usage fee implemented, a system widely used at boat launches around the Lower Mainland. 'Everyone should pay the same and as we feel that as renters, commercial renters, we're the only ones with the burden of this associated cost with the dock, not mechanics, dealerships, anyone else using their dock, the public,' Severin said. The fee bylaw is now in its fourth year but for unknown reasons, compliance has dropped this year. 'We've had fairly reasonable compliance in previous years and this year, we saw a market reduction in the level of compliance,' said Johannes Saufferer, director of real estate for the City of Kelowna. Story continues below advertisement According to Saufferer, operating and maintaining the two city-owned boat launches comes at a cost of roughly $400,000 per year, money that used to come from general taxation. However, council approved a fee bylaw amendment in April 2022 after a study revealed commercial boat operators made up 25 per cent of the users of boat launch facilities. Despite that amendment, Saufferer said the city is open to such a model. 'An all-user pay model in the future is certainly something that staff would be willing to consider,' Saufferer said. 'It would be subject to council approval, but the current bylaw is in effect for commercial boat launch operators.' It means that for now, the commercial boat operators must pay the fees to be in compliance or potentially face fines. 'Initial efforts will be focused on education and warnings. In the event a fine is issued, I understand that it will be in the amount of $500 for commercial operators not in compliance with the city's bylaw.' he said.
7NEWS
10-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Bega to shut peanut processing plants in major blow to regional jobs in Queensland
Bega Group has announced it will wind down its Peanut Company of Australia (PCA) operations at Kingaroy and Tolga over the next 18 months. Up until now, these peanuts ended up in jars of Aussie favourite Bega Peanut Butter. The closure marks the end of an era for Queensland's peanut industry, with an expected impact on around 135 factory workers across the two regional sites, as well as leaving around 60 farmers in limbo. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bega closing peanut processing plant. Despite investments and upgrades since Bega acquired the business in 2017, PCA has struggled under annual financial losses of $5 million to $10 million, the company said. Attempts to sell the business failed, forcing the company to opt for closure. 'We understand the impact this decision will have and will support employees and growers through this difficult transition,' CEO Pete Findlay said. The decision is a significant blow for local growers such as Richard Standen from Tolga, as PCA was the only buyer for their crops. 'Tolga has no other facility for shelling and storage,' Standen told 7NEWS. 'We're virtually at the end of our industry here unless someone invests but I can't see that happening.' Peanut farming made up about one third of Standen's operation, with the rest in maize and grass seed. He said the closure would hit growers' incomes hard and force many to find alternative crops, a challenge given limited market options. The broader industry has faced rising competition from imports, higher input costs, and stronger returns from other crops — factors pushing production and profitability down. Standen said it was the loss of a family legacy, with generations of his family involved in peanut farming. 'It's gutting. We'd hoped the industry would continue, but the writing's been on the wall for a while,' he said. Organised peanut farming began at Kingaroy in Queensland in 1923. Towering over the town, the Peanut Company has been a pillar of the local economy for decades. With the loss of a more than a century-old agricultural industry, Kingaroy now faces a major setback. The closure has sparked anger in the South Burnett community. 'This is a deeply disappointing blow for the region,' Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said. 'Bega is a highly profitable multinational company and this decision will devastate the local community, who have been loyal to the brand for many years.' Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud described the move as a major blow for the agricultural sector. 'PCA had been processing 19,000 tonnes of Australian-grown peanuts every year in Queensland,' he said. 'Today is a tough day for Queensland agriculture and Bega's employees and contractors.' Bega will offer redundancies and support to employees at the two sites, the company stated. However, it will retain processing facilities in Crestmead and Malanda. Local businesses linked to the peanut industry, including transport, machinery, and chemical suppliers, are also expected to feel the impact, Standen said. Growers are set to meet with Bega next week to discuss options. The group's portfolio includes well-known brands such as Bega Cheese, Vegemite, Dairy Farmers, Daily Juice, Zooper Dooper, Dare Iced Coffee, Masters, Big M, Mildura Juice, and Zoosh .
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Hampton in Arden couple shocked at free IVF rejection by NHS
A couple said they were shocked and angry after being told they could not get fertility treatment on the NHS because they had previously gone and Gemma Standen, from Hampton in Arden, near Solihull, were referred by their GP for NHS treatment but said, faced with a 12-month waiting list, they decided to get the process started paid £14,000 for their first round of IVF without realising it would disqualify them from getting free treatment.A spokesperson for NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) said its criteria for accessing NHS-funded IVF services were to ensure fair and effective use of NHS resources." Mrs Standen was told by her consultant at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield that, because she had already had a round of IVF, she was no longer eligible for free treatment. The policy is the same across much of the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Elsewhere in the country, only two other ICBs will not offer IVF on the NHS after private treatment."It's such a slow process so we decided to do private because wanted to speed it up because of the age," Mr Standen told the BBC, adding that the regional differences were "unfair"."I don't see how they can make that decision and turn around to somebody and say 'that's it, you're not going to have a kid'." A spokesperson for the Birmingham and Solihull ICB said they understood the difficult, emotional journey couples were on when it came to fertility treatment."Criteria for accessing NHS-funded IVF services are set locally and are based on clinical evidence and the needs of our population to ensure fair and effective use of NHS resources," they added."Where there are exceptional clinical circumstances, patients who do not meet this criteria may be referred by their clinician for treatment via an Individual Funding Request."The couple have now paid more than £40,000 for three rounds of IVF which were all unsuccessful. They said they decided to stop trying and instead find contentment with their family as it couple renewed their commitment to each other at BBC CWR's We Still Do celebration in February.
