The first place I take visitors to Hawke's Bay is Te Mata Peak.
They are always impressed, but their experience could be even better with a proposed $4.3million visitor and education centre just inside the park gates.
Unfortunately the Te Mata Park Trust decided to can that idea after anindependent review found the centre would be a "major financial liability" and presented significant risks in the long term. To date the trust has raised $3.3m for the project.
Fiscal prudence is always good and although no one wants a white elephant sitting at the base of Te Mata Peak, sometimes boldness is required to make things happen. Not all development is bad and this centre was always a winner.
Te Mata Peak is a star attraction and anything that can get people, especially tourists, to linger longer would only enhance its reputation and attract more people to visit it.
Sure, such a project would need to be financially viable, but there were always several ways to pay the ongoing costs.
The centre could have rented out space to adventure tour operators. A gold coin donation charged to school groups and tourists alike would have been an inoffensive revenue earner. A function room at the centre would also bring in money from weddings and events.
Dare I say it, but even the subsidy that Havelock North ratepayers pay for all and sundry to park free in the village could instead go to maintaining the visitor centre.
