Whangarei District Council recently decided to provide a further $800,000 for the athletic track at Kensington Park – after the ASB declined both the applications for grants for this project and $3.5 million for the Events Centre. They raised questions regarding the duplication of facilities.

This will take WDC’s total commitment to Stage One (the athletic track) to approximately $4 million. This is comprised of approximately $2 million paid for land, $700,000 in seed money plus the $800,000 just approved. Further is an estimated $500,000 for proposed road configuration costs.

The cost of Stage Two of this project (gymnasium, indoor bowls, and offices for Sports Northland) is at this point unknown to ratepayers.

Why did WDC not reapply to ASB explaining why they created two competing trusts with competing projects for sporting facilities (Sport Northland Trust and the recently formed Northland Events Centre Trust)? Rather they are going to add $800,000 to debt, on which we all will be paying interest for many years to come.

Why is WDC keen on providing additional funding to Sport Northland, but not the Events Centre?

Perhaps a meeting of the minds could see collaboration on the respective projects which would provide complementary facilities that maximised public interests.