Excuse me? Team New Zealand offers to host the next America's Cup regatta at no cost to Auckland ratepayers and the city council responds by setting up an advisory group of interested stakeholders.
Why the hesitation? This rate-paying stakeholder says sign up quick before anyone has second thoughts.
The only reason for a delay I can think of is that our city leaders are playing hardball and holding out for a decent rental from the sailors for this prime waterfront property as well. But that seems unlikely.
Over the years our leaders have been calvinistically wedded to the inevitability that hosting such an event involves losing public money.
They are the ones who have calmly accepted the $10 million-plus deficit incurred in running last summer's village.
The projection, earlier this year, that hosting the 2003 Cup event would cost Auckland ratepayers a similar amount was greeted with similar equanimity.
Now, with Team New Zealand's offer on the table, there is back-up for my long-expressed belief that not another penny of ratepayers' money need be risked on this event - or others like it. Did I hear someone say Volvo?
The Team New Zealand offer arose last week during two workshops in which interested parties were invited to discuss how best to manage the Viaduct Basin. I'm not sure who attended. What surprises me is some of those not invited.
If there was a key weakness in the running of the last Cup, it centred on the disastrous organisation of the public-event side of the business.
Given that, you might have thought some of the city's prominent event organisers would have been invited. People like IMG's Paul Gleeson who has been the Auckland host for everyone from the Pope to Kiri Te Kanawa, Rendell McIntosh of NZ Events and Alan Smythe, organiser of the legendary free Domain concerts and outdoor opera.
However, none of them knew about it until they read their Herald.
In May, I reported Mr McIntosh saying he and other event managers would pay for the rights to run such an event.
I suggested then it was high time that the town hall invited him in for a chat. He is still waiting. But he sticks to his belief that there could be a profit to be made for promoter and city alike. He reckons overseas event organisers might also be interested.
Getting back to the Team New Zealand offer. There is no doubt that the way the last challenge was organised resulted in a sponsorship nightmare. The defence was split into three distinct parts - the Cup village, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Team New Zealand.
Each competed with the other for sponsors. The results at times were ugly. When Team New Zealand's sponsor, Steinlager, refused to sponsor the village as well, the village embraced DB. In a similar way, WestpacTrust found itself overshadowed by American Express.
By setting up a one-stop shop, Team New Zealand can not only guarantee its sponsors have a clear run, it can also offer them a wider stage, providing them exclusive rights not only on the defender boat but across the village as well.
No doubt a village-naming rights sponsor will be sought. But with Team New Zealand in control, it will be able to ensure that the company selected does not compete with any of the boat sponsors.
Whether there is a profit to be made in running the village depends on what sort of village is planned. If there is emphasis on paid entertainers, then the outgoings and risks are higher than if a passive, promenading type of venue is planned.
These are risks that ratepayers were lumbered with last time. This time it is someone else's turn.
Team New Zealand has put its hand up first. This stakeholder says give it to them. And fast.
<i>Rudman's city:</i> City must seize Cup village offer now
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