Plans to get ratepayers to pay for a $30million multisports stadium in Whangarei have been shelved.
The future of the stadium is now unclear after the Northland Regional Council dropped the project from its 2005-06 Draft Annual Plan, calling for more work on who should pay for such a project, where it should be located and how it could be managed.
The review over the next months will include investigating what, if anything, ratepayers would have to contribute.
NRC chairman Mr Farnsworth said council members recognised the considerable public support for the $30million-plus events centre, but it was also clear many ratepayers were uncomfortable at the impact it would have had on rates.
Of 5000 submissions to the NRC on the concept, 69 percent had been in favour of a rating levy that would have billed:
Owners of residential properties within 50km of the stadium: $48.
Owners of residential properties more than 50km from the stadium: $24.
Owners of commercial properties in Whangarei district: $96. The decision not to go ahead this year is expected to cut almost $4million off rates for 2005-2006 _ putting the average ratepayer's bill at $83, as opposed to an average $137 if the stadium project had been included.
Supporters of the stadium were upbeat that the project had not been ditched.
But they expressed reservations about taking up to 12 months to review it.
The NRC has agreed to spend $120,000 looking at where the stadium money might now come from, as well as its "use, location, and ownership management structure".
Whangarei Deputy Mayor Phil Halse was glad the entire project had not been canned.
He hoped something could be sorted out in three months. The WDC and the NRC had been working together on the project.
The district council had agreed to pay $110,000 to $244,000 toward the annual running costs of the stadium.
The district council had also agreed to spend $1.5 million upgrading the stadium if the concept fell through, to enable the Northland Rugby Union to meet standards required for the Northland NPC team to play in a new professional competition due to kick off in August 2006.
Mr Halse saw little value in spending the money on a stop-gap measure if alternative funding sources could be found in the next few months.
Whangarei Mayor Pamela Peters said the district council would work closely with the NRC to shape a proposal that "closely meets the needs and concerns of all our community".
NRU chairman Shayne Heape admitted being slightly disappointed at the no-go decision but said he too hoped the funding could be found in the next few months.
He was confident that as long as the NRU had some form of upgrade work underway on the stadium by next August, it would not affect the Northland team's position in the new competition.
At a special regional council meeting yesterday, Crs Mark Farnsworth, Bill Rossiter, Ian Walker, Lorraine Hill, Peter Jensen and Stan Semenoff voted to delay the funding decision.
Mr Walker said he was "very concerned" ratepayers on fixed incomes could not afford increased rates to help pay for the events centre. He felt ``more due diligence'' was needed before a decision was made.
Mr Jensen said a lot of people who had opposed the plan for ratepayers to pay for the events centre did so only because of the cost, not because they didn't want a stadium.
"If we were to rush in ... we'd be very foolish indeed," Mr Jensen said.
Mr Farnsworth said councillors would not forget about the issue and promised: "There will be action."
Councillors Craig Brown and Jim Peters disagreed with the delay and wanted the council to give ratepayers an idea now of the likelihood of the events centre going ahead. Around the region many people felt ratepayers shouldn't be dumped with the bill.
Mr Brown, a former Whangarei mayor, said the council was taking a weak stance by not telling ratepayers if they intended to build or not.
"There's a need for a regional stadium. We shouldn't be delaying this process as we need it sooner rather than later," Mr Brown said.
NZ First list MP Jim Peters said ratepayers expected the council to make a decision this year. "I'd like us to have a yes or no in principle," he said.
Stadium Plan Stalled
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