Rally NZ gets go ahead to use Gisborne roads

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THE New Zealand Rally will return to Gisborne roads next month, at a possible cost of about $50,000 to Gisborne District Council.

An application for temporary road closures to host the rally was considered by the council’s infrastructure services committee yesterday but a staff recommendation to deny the application was declined.

Tairawhiti Roads general manager Dave Hadfield told the committee that there would be a cost to the council if it hosted the event because planned metalling work of the roads in question would have to be rescheduled.

“The scale of that cost is unclear but the worse-case scenario is about $50,000.”

However, councillors were in agreement that the event should proceed as planned and voted to support the road closure application.

Councillor Larry Foster said it would be a “huge” event that would showcase the district to hundreds of people.

“We’ve got to be open-armed to all these sorts of events — it’s a small cost for a greater gain.”

Councillor Brian Wilson said it would not be practical to turn down the application. The event is scheduled to take place on July 2 and will be notified to the public through use of the chief executive delegation because it will not be possible to advertise necessary road closures within the usual 42-day legal time-frame.