Park group irks mayor

LAWRENCE GULLERY
The battle over Nelson Park's future steps up this week as referendum voting papers go out to homes and interest groups lobby to save the park from being sold.
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule hit out at the Nelson Park Action Group this week and said information circulated by its members was "false".
Mr Yule said he was "getting increasingly annoyed" by material the group had given to businesses in Hastings which opposed the sale in favour of keeping the park as a green space.
The mayor said he was concerned the group claimed the sale and relocation of the track and grandstand at Nelson Park would not be self-funding: "The group claimed extra borrowing will occur. This is completely incorrect. The council will not complete the deal unless the sale proceeds fund all the costs."
Mr Yule said the group also claimed the Nelson family did not support the sale.
"A relative of William Nelson did write a letter to the paper suggesting this. The official family position is unchanged in that they support the relocation with appropriate recognition at the new site," he said.
Havelock North's Liz Remmerswaal, a member of the environment group, BayWatch HB, wrote to Hawke's Bay Today to raise concerns about the park, including how much the council planned to spend on the referendum.
The council will spend more than $500,000, which includes $388,000 on feasibility and consultants' work, as well as $115,000 on the referendum.
"All this money has been factored into the price of the sale. These costs will only be picked up by the ratepayers if Nelson Park is not sold," Mr Yule said.
Hastings City Marketing has publicly supported the sale but Mr Yule said its decision was independent from the council.
Mrs Remmerswaal said the location of the proposed regional sports park at Percival Road, which could include a velodrome, would be at least 20 minutes' drive from Havelock North.
"How is the council responsibly promoting cycling to young sportspeople when it locates a new sports ground on the outskirts of the city?" she said.
Mr Yule said the Northern Arterial Route would have a cycleway on it and the sports park was located at Percival Road as a key central location, with room to expand.
Mrs Remmerswaal questioned whether Hastings needed a velodrome.
"Hawke's Bay is one of the few remaining regions in the country without a velodrome," Mr Yule said.
No arrangements had been made to fund the velodrome, which could cost from $6 million to $10 million.