Editorial: Refreshing to see claim of confidence

Maurice Beatson on My Gollywog at Horse of the year, Hawkes Bay Showgrounds, Hastings.

Horse of the Year (Hawke's Bay) Ltd (HOYL) recently asked Hastings and Napier councils to more than quadruple the contribution ratepayers make to the stellar equestrian event.

On Friday it announced it had selected Auckland-based SMC Events to take over the contract to run the show.

HOYL made submissions to both councils, asking Hastings (which provided $35,000 to the annual equestrian event last year) to boost its contribution to $150,000 a year, while Napier was being asked to up its annual contribution from $10,000 to $100,000.

A bold ask - but one SMC itself is willing to back with an assurance it would pay a share of any deficit if the event ran at a loss.

It's refreshing to see such a claim of confidence from the new event manger. Such an undertaking mitigates any potential loss to the ratepayer.

So it should be.

Among recent requests of the ratepayer are a new chapel and crematorium ($1.2 million ), Hawke's Bay Opera House ($20 million), refurbishment of the War Memorial Conference Centre ($4.5 million) purchase of Hawke's Bay Sport Fishing Club's boat ramp ($271,000) and Hawke's Bay Tourism's call for an additional $900,000 from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

The begging bowls are out.

Some of the requests are yet to be confirmed and of course are prompted by the region's councils currently going through a three-yearly process of updating their long-term plans, the 10-year blueprints setting out their budget priorities.

The important thing is any substantial draw on public money, like this request for further HOY cash, needs to be prudently allocated based on spending priorities - and with a view to providing the region with a clear dividend.