Stadium seeks public trust

The Northland Events Centre Trust hopes to win public support with a new independent feasibility study.
Ratepayers are unhappy about Northland Regional Council and Whangarei District Council plans to give up to $17million for a $38million multipurpose stadium proposed for Whangarei.
A previous feasibility study was done by the Northland Rugby Union, which would be a key tenant.
The councils have ordered the trust to undertake a new study to counter concerns about independence. But that may be difficult, given that three of the seven trust members have strong links with the rugby union.
Trust chairman is Whangarei businessman Bill Shepherd, nominated by the Northland Chamber of Commerce and elected leader by the other members.
The other six are businessman Shayne Heape and surveyor Bryce Woodward (both nominated by the NRU); accountants Don Hewitt (nominated by the Chamber of Commerce) and Steve Bennett (Whangarei District Council nominee), organisation development consultant Richard Engdahl (Chamber of Commerce) and lawyer Peter Macauley (Northland Regional Council).
Mr Shepherd said that despite Mr Heape being former chairman of the NRU, Mr Woodward being the former coach of the Northland NPC team and Mr Hewitt a former Northland rugby representative, the public should have confidence in their impartiality.
He said that given public disquiet, it was important the feasibility study was seen as being totally independent.
"The organisations (that nominated the various trust members) considered that the skills and expertise they had would add a lot of value to the project and you can't get much more independent than me," said Mr Shepherd, who is also chairman of the Northland Hockey Association.
"I have total confidence in their integrity and independence, both as people and professionals.
"It has to be multiuse as part of the trust deed ... we are determined to make sure that it is a multiuse facility and that is crucial to getting any buy-in from the community," Mr Shepherd said.
He said hockey would not be interested as it had its own top-class facility at Kensington Park.
Formal talks had not been conducted with any of the other major sporting codes, but rugby league and soccer were both potential users, he said.
Mr Shepherd said the next step was to get the trust properly incorporated.
The trustees also wanted several minor changes to the draft trust deed provided by the settlors of the trust - the Whangarei District and Northland Regional Councils and the Northland Rugby Union.
He expected approval within a month.
Work had begun on finding consultants for the study. Council funding depended on the project not needing more ratepayer money for construction or operation.