Resign, Laws tells MRI chairman

Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws has called for the resignation of the head of the tourism MRI (major regional initiative), Uwe Kroll.
He said MRI chairman and Ruapehu district councillor Mr Kroll "must resign from his position on the MRI immediately after being caught out in a public lie".
He said he could not see how the Wanganui District Council could have any faith in Mr Kroll. "His public denial that there had been branding troubles at this regional tourism organisation has proven to be knowingly false," he said.
"The release yesterday (Chronicle, Page 1) of the previously confidential July 2006 minutes exposes this deceit."
The Chronicle obtained copies of minutes of the MRI board meeting of July 31 last year which showed the board had concerns about the authenticity of designs created by Auckland firm Velocity Design which was contracted to create branding for it the board.
Mr Laws had earlier claimed the designs were "remarkably similar" to an existing commercial brand. The MRI board said it "refuted categorically" his claims, saying he was "incorrect and misinformed".
Despite yesterday's revelations, the MRI says it stands by the design agency.
Greg Howe, MRI executive director, said that, as with all relationships, "there are bumps along the way". Regional branding processes were no different.
"The original potential brand offered by Velocity Design was ultimately rejected by the MRI board for no other reason than that it was felt local iwi had no connection with its origin," he said.
"Any concerns that the board had as to the likeness or unlikeness of the brand to anything else in the marketplace were completely eliminated. However, this, as it turned out, was not a consideration or influencing factor in the decision-making process whatsoever."
Mr Howe said Velocity Design has the full support of the Major Regional Initiative board in terms of the "exhaustive branding process undertaken", creative design and the ultimate outcome, the application of the brand. He said the board had the "utmost confidence" the design agency and all others involved in the process had created an internationally marketable brand the region would be proud of.
Mr Laws said the Wanganui council would discuss the MRI, its progress and its leadership at the next strategy committee meeting on March 13.
Before then "Mr Kroll could take a step in regaining our faith by tendering his resignation".
Mr Laws said the slow progress at the MRI and its Ruapehu-centric leadership had caused raised eyebrows in Wanganui. The chairman, deputy chairman and chief executive all reside in the Ruapehu district.
The MRI has received $2 million from the Government to promote tourism across the Ruapehu, Rangitikei and Wanganui districts. It also receives $48,000 a year from the Wanganui District Council for administrative purposes. Mr Laws said the district council had access for the first time to minutes from the MRI board meetings. As a result the council would discuss the board strategy, leadership and direction when its strategy committee met next month.
Access to the minutes had come about because of the influence of the regional economic development trust, which over-arched the MRI.
The new trust chairman is district council CEO David Warburton, "and we expect to be, and will be, much better informed."
"We will be going back through all the minutes of the last 12-18 months to see if any other nasties are lurking in there."
Mr Laws said in light of the latest developments with the MRI the Wanganui council would have to decide whether it wanted to remain in the organisation "and, with $2 million of Government money hanging around, the answer is probably yes".
"It would suit Ruapehu's purposes if we were to pull out because they would then have no other recourse but to grab all the money themselves.
"But we're not in that game. We want to make sure that whatever the brand is and whatever the marketing is has a one-third focus on the historic river city of Wanganui," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Rowe said yesterday's revelations had prompted the board to advance the launch of the brand.
"It had been scheduled for Wanganui in mid to late March to coincide with our website being finished, but obviously the circumstances... have changed our mind on that."
The public launch will now be on February 27 in Wanganui. "What's happened is that the proverbial's hit the fan, but this launch is a big deal, contrary to belief that some, particularly in Wanganui, may have," he said.
"We've had to re-look at things and we as a board certainly can't let this (situation) fester on. "The proof about this brand is in the pudding. We've got the pudding and I can tell you it's very, very tasty and we're very, very proud."