Motorsport: Ministry flip-flop intensifies rally row

Roger Wigglesworth, director for the Tourism, Events and Consumer Affairs branch of the Ministry of Development. Photo / Whangarei Report

The row over state support for the Rally of New Zealand is set to intensify, with organisers re-applying for funding following comments made by a Government employee yesterday.

Roger Wigglesworth, director for the Tourism, Events and Consumer Affairs branch of the Ministry of Development, said that rally organisers had certainly not applied for any funding through his agency.

However, a document forwarded to the Herald has revealed that Paul Mallard, general manager for Rally NZ, did apply for funding from the Major Events Development Fund and the application was rejected in a letter signed off by Wigglesworth.

The letter, signed by Wigglesworth and addressed to Mallard on October 7 last year, acknowledged receipt of the application before saying: "I write to advise you that the application for funding assistance for the Rally New Zealand event has been unsuccessful.

"The purpose of the Major Events Development Fund is to maximise the return to New Zealand from a major event and to position New Zealand as a highly competitive and desirable destination for hosting major events. All events are assessed in the same manner against criteria looking at the economic, social, cultural and international exposure impact the event has on New Zealand.

"It is clear that Rally New Zealand is an event which will proceed whether or not this application for funding is successful."

When questioned on Wednesday, Wigglesworth said a funding round closed on March 1 and that Rally of NZ organisers "certainly haven't approached us at all".

Last night he said he was referring only to the latest round of funding and not any past applications, but as the letter was sent only in October, it seemed to Rally of New Zealand chairman Chris Carr a perplexing oversight.

"It was a bit disappointing to read those comments," Carr said. "But having read them we've re-applied today [Thursday] and are now looking forward to a positive outcome."

Rally organisers believe the event could have a significant positive effect on tourism, as long as it remained part of the World Rally Championship.

There is conjecture that this year's event could be the last time it is on the WRC circuit. Australia is pencilled in for next year, in keeping with the WRC's recent history of going to the transtasman countries in alternate years, but without a major sponsor, without a competitive broadcast package compared to other countries and, most crucially, without government backing, the chances of the WRC returning in 2012 are slim and getting slimmer.

Yesterday, the president of the FIA's (world motorsport's governing body) World Rally Championship commission, Morrie Chandler, said the New Zealand round was a strong sporting event but was not meeting promotional objectives.

"The [other countries] have, in most cases, much closer working relations with the tourism authorities. They use the event to promote the country quite nicely. In New Zealand, unfortunately, we don't use the event to promote the country."

WHAT HE SAID

OCTOBER 9, 2009
'I write to advise you that the application for funding assistance for the Rally of New Zealand event has been unsuccessful ... it is clear that Rally New Zealand is an event which will proceed whether or not this application for funding is successful.'

FEBRUARY 25, 2010
'We have a funding round that is due to close on March 1 and I certainly have not yet seen anything from Rally of New Zealand. They certainly haven't approached us at all.'

FEBRUARY 26, 2010
'I meant they had not applied in this round. I didn't mean they had never applied at all.'

- Roger Wigglesworth