I pay $500 yr to the operator of the local airfeild for avdata exemption fees and dont have a problem with that. I do have a problem in that the maintanence of the airfield has gone to pot, possibly because the operator has realised that he can't make a profit and actually maintain the airfeild at the same time. I recently had occaision to land and take off from Mudgee in the states central west. Here we have a council owned airfield that is maintained, looks good and has no landing fees. Airfields are like ambulances and local sports fields. They are a public service. They are available in emergencies, cater for the local sporting people, and have industries that rely on them, but I defy you to get your local council to charge, at a profitable level, the local sporting groups for use of the local football, cricket ot other feilds around your town, and see local sport, both adult and kids, survive.
In the case of the Goulburn aerodrome, the land was originally GIVEN to the people of the city for use as an airfield by a local family. The land is now beeing leased with a sale option by the council to a private developer whos only interest in the feild is to make a profit. This arrogance is morally reprehensible. The only saving grace, at the moment, is the provisio from both the original donor, and later the local council, that it must remain an airfeild with fair and reasonable access to be granted to the public users.
As you can imagine, the politics and financial crap floating around for the last couple of years has been of legendary proportions. We have had threats of having hangers fenced off by the leasee because people would not pay an "access fee" to take their aircraft from their hangers to the taxiways, (this fee in most cases ran into $thousands per hanger). This operator will place a notam on a runway, or taxiway because he is to tight to get the area mowed so the grass is at an acceptable level for safe aircraft operation..
I would like to know where the line is between user pays, and outright usuary. We seem to be going the way of the almighty dollar where people no longer matter. Only the bottom line is important.
I do not have a problem paying a reasonable and fair landing fee. If the fees benefit the users, and generate a profit for the owner then that is as it should be.