Athletes back park sale - with condition

LAWRENCE GULLERY
Two athletics groups have thrown their weight behind the sale of Nelson Park, on the condition a new athletics track be part of the plan for a proposed regional sports park in Hastings.
The council plans a referendum this year to see if Hastings people support the sale of Nelson Park. If the answer is no the park will not be sold and the athletics track will remain there.
The Athletics Hawke's Bay Gisborne Centre has written to the Hastings District Council indicating its support for the sale, but it wants a new athletics track operating at least three months after the track at Nelson Park was to be demolished.
The Hastings Athletics Club had also written supporting the idea of a new track at the proposed park but would be discussing the matter further at its next committee meeting on July 17.
The centre's chairman Doug Laing said the regional park offered an opportunity for athletics to boost its participation numbers as well as link in with other sports to make the regional park a viable project.
He said many rugby players used athletics as a pre-season training tool during the summer period and a new track could attract a strong following from this and other sport codes.
"It's fair to say in the last few years athletics membership has declined and it's a situation we have to review," Mr Laing said.
"Hawke's Bay has a good chance to go forward as part of an arrangement with other sports at the regional park. This is a good chance to turn the corner ... we could have a centre that can hold international events," he said.
The council signed a $1.03 million deal to buy a 17ha block, between Percival Road and the Hawke's Bay Expressway last year to build a regional sports park.
The council's community services manager, Stephen Bunting, said in this case, the regional sports park could still go ahead but would not include a new athletics track in the short term.
"It will take a bit longer to build (the regional park) because we wouldn't have the funding (from the sale of Nelson Park)," he said.
One of those campaigning against the sale of Nelson Park, Gordon Vogtherr, said the removal of the athletics track did not concern him as much as the potential sale of Nelson Park.
"Our main concern is the open green space of Nelson Park which is not to be sold or developed into a mega (retail) centre," he said.
"Whether it has a track around it or not is immaterial," Mr Vogtherr said.
Mr Vogtherr is part of the Nelson Park Action Group which was set up by another Hastings resident, Ann Dixon, to oppose the sale of the park.
David Renouf, who is also a member of the group, said he believed there was still an issue with a part of the park which is protected by a statute by William Nelson. The Hastings Borough Council purchased the land after approval from a ratepayers poll.
A legal opinion sought by the Hastings District Council has, however, given the council the ability to dispose of either the original William Nelson land or the later additions.
The council is relying on a referendum "yes" vote, which will give approval for the removal of this Nelson Park statute.
The referendum would be by postal ballot. The council had set aside $115,000 for publication and promotion.