Yarrow Stadium petition with more than 5000 signatures presented to council

Hugh Barnes and Gordon Brown were at the Taranaki Regional Council offices in Stratford on Friday, to present their peittion.

More than 5000 Taranaki people have made their feelings clear to Taranaki Region Council – don't spend $50 million repairing Yarrow Stadium.

A total of 5409 signed the petition organised by Gordon Brown and Hugh Barnes, urging TRC to rethink the magnitude of the repair job and 851 signed the online petition from overseas.

On Friday September 27 the two presented their petition protesting the $50m cost of repairing the stadium.

Gordon, who chairs Sport Taranaki and is a New Plymouth District Councillor said it was the hottest topic at most candidates' meetings he'd been to.

"Now they've had their first rates' bill and seen the impact of the stadium levy which will continue for the next quarter of a century, people are angry.

"They feel powerless and want regional councillors to rethink it before it's too late.''

"The people have spoken. Taranaki Regional Council claims the people support the 50 million spend and we're saying more than 5000 people have spoken and proven them wrong. It's not to late to change you're mind. Listen to the people, that is all we ask.

Hugh, who was acting on behalf of the Taranaki Sports Collective which represents 15 regional sports organisations, said he was convinced the majority of Taranaki people were opposed to the scale of the project.

"The other sports know sucking that amount of money out of the region for what will essentially be a rugby stadium is going to make it so much harder to get support for some much-needed community sporting facilities.''

He says he believes the petition clearly shows what people want.

"From my perspective, only 524 submissions were sent in and only 52 per cent were in favour. But here we have 5000 signatures saying spend only the minimum amount to repair."

Both men say they are keen rugby fans.

"TRFU chairman Lindsay Thomson got it right when he said they were the meat in the sandwich. We have no issue with them and wish the Bulls and the union all the best for the season,'' said Gordon.

The pair say it is not too late for the TRC to reconsider, saying section 96 (2) of the Local Government Act 2002 states a resolution to adopt a long-term or annual plan does not constitute a decision to act on any specific matter included within it.