Exactly where the more than $3 million of unbudgeted funding needed to co-host the Women's Rugby World Cup in Whangārei in 2021 will come from will be determined next year.
Earlier this year Whangārei District Council expressed its intention to commit millions of dollars in funding towards hosting the event if New Zealand's bid was successful.
That includes $300,000 from the major events fund, unbudgeted match expenses of $1.417m, the early replacement of the Northland Events Centre lighting masts including bringing forward the LTP investment of $1.545m from the 2020/21 budget and additional unbudgeted capital expenditure of $1.655m in the event that Northland Events Centre Trust is unable to raise the funding, and an additional unbudgeted $310,000 for other upgrades to Northland Events Centre.
It also indicated it would consider additional unbudgeted capital expenditure of $580,000 to reduce match expenses for this and future major sporting events by purchasing a back-up generator, big screen and stadium sound system.
In an August council meeting, councillor Stuart Bell filed a notice of motion seeking a report at September's meeting outlining where the funding - not allowed for in the Long Term Plan - would come from.
His motion failed but an amendment that a report detailing funding options be presented at December's council meeting if New Zealand's bid was successful, was carried.
In November, New Zealand was awarded the tournament.
The report was tabled at December's meeting and detailed various funding source possibilities including using unbudgeted operational surpluses to create a cash reserve, substituting other expenditure, deferral of other projects, the use of appropriate reserves, increasing rates to provide additional funding, increasing debt and applying for external funding.
Ultimately the report recommended that any decisions about the sources of Women's Rugby World Cup funding should be incorporated into broader consideration of financial commitments during the 2019/20 annual plan process.
Councillors passed that recommendation, subsequently deferring the decision until next year.