Beach polo battle continues after tribunal decision

The State Administrative Tribunal has thrown out an application to host a weekend beach polo tournament on Cable Beach the same weekend as a rival - but the bitter battle rumbles on.

Senior SAT member Peter McNab dismissed the application to approve and allow Polo Enterprises Australia to stage the event and revoke permission from the Shire of Broome to Cable Beach Polo giving it rights in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Mr McNab ruled SAT did not have jurisdiction to proceed with the application made by PEA to review the council decision to grant CBP event permits from 2014 to 2017.

But Polo Enterprises Australia's Janek Gazecki said he would seek a judicial review of the decisions by SAT and the council allowing Cable Beach Polo's Marilynne Paspaley to independently stage the beach spectacle.

They jointly held the event 2010 and 2011 but it collapsed the next year after a dispute between the two.

"We are quite eager to get our event back so that we can continue developing beach polo in Australia, under the auspices of the Australian Beach Polo Association," Mr Gazecki said.

Ms Paspaley said the SAT decision gave the event certainty for the "foreseeable future".

"The matter has been quickly resolved by the senior member and puts to an end this latest legal challenge by PEA, the second one this year by them - both of which have cost the Broome Shire and Cable Beach Polo substantial funds during 2013."

Ms Paspaley said the ruling provided certainty and opportunity over the next four years and she looked forward to pursuing her vision for the event.

"The sponsors, who have been very supportive of Cable Beach Polo and the event, will now have the opportunity to plan their involvement over a several year period, enabling benefit to them, the event's future and to Broome through their substantial investment," she said.

Next year's event will be staged on Cable Beach on May 24 and 25 next year as planned.

Organisers are already in discussions to attract teams from overseas including the UK and NZ, and also around Australia to the event.

"I want this event to be a positive boost to the Broome economy and community and we can now continue to develop the event to ensure that this becomes a reality," she said.

"I sincerely thank the Broome community for standing behind the event and me and supporting the event with such passion and commitment."

Shire president Graeme Campbell said the SAT decision justified the council's position and ratified its own processes as being robust and correct.

"The unfortunate thing is this has cost ratepayers more than a hundred thousand dollars in legal fees through no fault of Cable Beach Polo or the Shire of Broome," he said

"The fortunate thing is this wonderful event can now go forward and provide certainty to the organiser and sponsors for important things like advertising and marketing a very popular and welcome event to the town."