Local Focus: Candidate brings focus back on velodrome roof

Whanganui District councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan is campaigning for re-election and her campaign will continue whether re-elected or not.

A self-confessed sports geek, world champion rower and Sports Hall-of-Famer, she has her sights firmly set on putting a roof over New Zealand's first wooden velodrome.

"It has really got to the stage now that I'm prepared to live and die on this project," Baker-Hogan said.

"The Event Centre Velodrome is what I'm standing on and I just believe it's time to look at a 22-year-old asset. If we don't cover it soon we are going to probably have to knock it over. I think the time is right to get this project up and running and covered.

"Whanganui was ahead of its time 22 years ago in building the wooden velodrome, the standard for international track cycling."

Baker-Hogan says the velodrome project, combined with other redevelopment projects in the city, will help the city move forward.

"Certainly the latest figures I've seen would bring 20,000 new people to Whanganui a year and a net present value of something like $200 million within 10 years to this region, so it's really significant and, hey, what a problem to have to need to build one or two hotels.

"I really have a social heart and I really care about the housing issues. We have our share of mental health issues, suicide, etc, and I've been on the health board for 15 years," she said.

"A kid in sport is a kid out of court."

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