Region grateful for Govt multi-events centre funding

Northland Regional Council Chairman Mark Farnsworth and Whangarei Mayor Stan Semenoff have expressed deep gratitude at the announcement today (subs: Tues 12 May) of $2.5 million in Government funding for Whangarei’s regional multi-events centre.

The funding was announced in Whangarei today by Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully and local MP (and the Minister of Housing and Minister of Fisheries) Phil Heatley.

The $2.5 million will go toward enhancing the multi-events centre, which will host two matches during the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and will be in addition to the $16 million contributed by Northland ratepayers.

The existing design for the multi-events centre meets Air New Zealand Cup standards, but Mr Farnsworth said the additional Government money meant higher Rugby World Cup standards could be met at no additional cost to Northland ratepayers.

He and Mr Semenoff stressed that the centre is on budget, and the Chief Executives of both Councils were tasked with keeping the project within budget.

Both said they were deeply grateful that the Government had contributed, and they praised Mr Heatley for his initiative in seeking the assistance.

“This demonstrates the power of having a Cabinet Minister from Whangarei. We are extremely grateful for the announcement, and we look forward to the Ministers coming to the opening of the stadium,” Mr Farnsworth said.

He said the multi-events centre was a key piece of infrastructure, and Northland’s determination to get the project done had been vindicated.

Mr Semenoff said Mr Heatley had brought home the bacon, and he thanked Mr McCully for his support for the multi-events centre, which would not have been possible had not so many people worked to make the centre happen, including Far North Mayor Wayne Brown and Kaipara Mayor Neil Tiller.

Mr Heatley said he’d approached Cabinet for funding in line with grants already announced for stadia in Dunedin and Christchurch.

He felt sport and leisure were as important as roading and telecommunications, and he was respectful of the Councils scaling back the original events centre plans to something sensible and pragmatic.

“The grant is not a rates rebate. Local ratepayers have contributed, and I felt the Government needed to make a contribution that would raise the standards of the events centre.

“It is not just for the Rugby World Cup, but for concerts, trades shows and other codes which will use the facility,” Mr Heatley said.

Mr McCully said the upgraded stadium would leave a lasting legacy for the Northland community well beyond the Rugby World Cup tournament.

“The Rugby World Cup has proven a timely catalyst for a number of infrastructure developments around the country, and that includes stadia.

“The tournament will have a global TV audience of around four billion. We want to make the most of the opportunity to promote New Zealand, and projects like this will ensure we do.

“During a time of economic downturn, development of events infrastructure not only creates jobs and opportunities for local businesses, it also builds our capability to host future major events, which bring their own economic, social and cultural benefits,” Mr McCully said.

Work on the multi-events centre project, which includes a new North Stand, is already under way and is scheduled to be completed by May 2010.