"The Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide, has plans to spend $1 million on a Super City Show in Auckland Domain to trumpet the arrival of his new super city." says North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams.

 

"I was appalled when I heard last week that this amount of money was being suggested for a big party in the Domain to launch the new Auckland super city. And to find out that the "cut councils to the core services" Minister Rodney Hide supports this extravagant spendup makes a mockery of his whole agenda for gutting local government."

 

"The planned "Auckland Super City Show", to be organised by the same promoters who do other concerts, Domain Concerts Ltd, intends asking the NZ Lotteries Board for the million dollars, rather than it being at a cost to ratepayers or taxpayers." says Mayor Williams. "Why on earth would this national lottery want to give a very valuable sum like that to Auckland for a one night bash when communities up and down New Zealand desperately need the Lotto dollars for more important under-funded projects?"

 

"And no doubt the 'Dancing with the Stars' Minister Hide would want to be a star act on the night to gloat about his new Auckland Super Council. This super show would be an exercise in self promotion for the ACT Party leader, at the expense of all New Zealanders." says Mayor Williams. "This Minister is a total hypocrite when it comes to spending public money."

 

"I for one will not be supporting this extravagance. If anything we are more likely to just have some low key wakes in the likes of North Shore, Waitakere, Manukau to say farewell to a number of very fine cities and districts that have been killed off by Rodney Hide."

 

 

THE AUCKLAND SUPERCITY SHOW 

The changes which surround the formation of a new “Supercity” of Auckland have raised many fears and doubts. To commemorate and celebrate this historic change a single, powerful event is required…a SUPERSHOW. 

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW marks the moment… the time when a new city is born and is celebrated by tens of thousands of its citizens… live at a massive free entry event in The Domain. Such a moment should definitely be marked by something bolder than  a quiet function in a back room.  

 

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW brings together everything which makes us proud to be Aucklanders… it’s a parade of achievement and a celebration of excellence.  

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW  is a three-hour event, maybe on Auckland  
Anniversary Day, 2012,  telecast live.  It is designed to build a spirit of  unity at a time of greater difficulty for many Aucklanders. 

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW is a community builder, encouraging Aucklanders to feel good about living in a great city, to value each other and to celebrate our achievements.  
 

PROPOSAL

To create and broadcast live, a three-hour large-scale event …an occasion which reflects everything that is good about Auckland and its people… a powerful event of community unity.  

The event will be viewed live by more than 100,000 people, probably in the Domain,  and telecast live into homes from North Cape to the Bluff. It will draw record ratings and a record audience. 

The event has a working budget of $1 million.  
 

OBJECTIVES

This proposal is about doing something to carefully nurture Auckland. It is about a televised event that will reflect and develop Auckland’s identity and culture. It will engage a wide range of  Aucklanders, including women, youth, children and ethnic and other minorities in the community. 

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW will reflect and celebrate a cross-section of our diverse city in the most inclusive way. It will help move Auckland to a new place in the collective conscience, a positive celebration of diversity and achievement.  

It is about community mana. 
 
 

THE PRESENTATION

 

The stage presentation will take approximately three hours from 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. on Auckland Anniversary Day, 2012. 

It will be broadcast live on the night and replayed again at a future date.  
 

THE POSSIBLE VENUES

The Domain

 

The Domain is the magnetic cultural centre of Auckland… more people have been entertained by 18 years of large scale, free entry concerts in this venue than in any other in New Zealand.  

It is the heart of Auckland from all sides of the community perspective. 

People over more than 60 events in The Domain, know how to use the venue… where to park, what to bring, how to behave etc etc.  

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW, with the right casting and publicity, would draw more than 150,000 Aucklanders into their most beautiful park.

Bastion Point

 

Takaparawhau (Bastion Pt) is the ancestral home of Ngati Whatua, the original people of Auckland, who call the area Tamaki Makaurau. 

With commanding views over the harbour and city beyond, and steeped in Maori, colonial and modern history, it is an excellent location to bring an estimated 100,000 New Zealanders together once again on Waitangi Day. 

Bastion Pt as a venue for the event has the support of both Ngati Whatua and Auckland City, joint owners of the land in question.  

 

ONSTAGE

 

The event is best characterised as a pageant of Auckland/New Zealand culture - a parade of excellence - a range of our top performers and high achievers from all cultures and fields of endeavour.

 

The presentation is designed to show that such diverse peoples and talents have one key thing in common: they are all people who call themselves Aucklanders.

The Best of the Best

 

A live TV/stage event built around the Auckland winners  in all fields: culture, sport, art, business, theatre, fashion. 

Kapa Haka, Rock Quest, Stage Challenge, The Big Sing, Polynesian culture groups, Brass Band, Pipe Band, Wearable Art, Opera, Marching Girls, Film and TV, Woodchopping… the champion Aberdeen Angus bull. 

Kiwi music…Our top artists from all time:from old time – a Maori Show Band;from medium time – Split Enz, Dave Dobbyn; from new time –  Nesian Mystik etc..

Commemoration:Remembering great Aucklanders… Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Peter Blake etc.

 

CONCLUSION 

AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW has the potential to make a significant contribution to our city’s cultural evolution.  

The event brings together high achievers from all cultures to deliver a powerful message about the vital contribution all peoples make to life in our great city.   
 
 
 
 

EVENT PRODUCER

 

ALAN SMYTHE… M.A.  (1st Class Hons) 

Alan has produced and directed over 70 large scale, free entry outdoor concerts in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, including Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park, Sky City Starlight Symphony, Schweppes Showtime and Firestone Fireshow, a concert for the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in Auckland. In all, these events have entertained around 10,000,000 and raised more than $8 million for charity.  

Alan has also produced  large scale stadium shows in Wellington and Auckland… two arena opera productions, CARMEN and LA TRAVIATA and was the inaugural director of the University of Auckland School of Creative and Performing Arts.   

He was the founder publisher of THE LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS, was awarded the Ernst and Young ENTREPENEUR OF THE YEAR and is a DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI of the University of Auckland.

In 2007 his movie script, co-written with Roger Donaldson, “The World’s Fastest Indian” drew the biggest box office of any NZ movie in this country.

AUCKLAND CITY CO-ORDINATION

EVENT FACILITATION TEAM

THE ACTION

 

It is suggested that the $1million budget for AUCKLAND SUPERSHOW is not drawn from ratepayer or taxpayer funds.  That a powerful and strongly endorsed application be made for $1 million to the New Zealand Lotteries Board.  

Such an application, from the Domain Concerts Board, a registered charitable trust whose trustees are the then Mayors of Auckland: Dick Hubbard, Bob Harvey, Sir Barry Curtis and George Woods. 

The application must be supported by the current mayors of the areas concerned with the new Supercity. 

It should also be supported by the Prime Minister,  the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Local Government. This application needs to be lodged before the end of this calendar year.