Events Centre Payment Approved - Construction to Start

Manukau City Council has approved the payment of the third instalment of the $8.74 million grant to the Counties Manukau Pacific Trust for the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre.

Approval of the $3 million instalment means that the Trust can now award the construction contract to Mainzeal Construction Ltd.

The TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre is a citywide facility for art, culture, business and leisure and is scheduled to open in March/April 2005.

Deputy Mayor Anne Candy says that the Council is supporting the project in a number of ways. "These include an $8.74 million capital contribution grant, a $385,000 annual operating grant payable from 2005 to 2012, the guarantee of a $7.5 million overdraft and the proceeds of the commercial land adjacent to Pacific, which sold for $13,018,015 to Eldamos Investments Ltd.

"In addition to Council’s support the Counties Manukau Pacific Trust has raised more than $20 million of the $45 million needed to complete the project. This level of sponsorship raised for a public facility is believed to be a first in New Zealand and a major achievement."

City Manager Colin Dale says that the Trust has, as with any other major development in Manukau, been subject to rigorous regulatory processes.

"While Council may support the project financially, the regulatory process is separate and the Trust has had to obtain all the necessary consents to enable it to develop the Centre."

The TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre will have two main venues: the Sir Woolf Fisher Arena and the Genesis Theatre. These venues are capable of hosting events such as indoor sports, exhibitions, trade shows and conferences, concerts and ‘sportainment’, community events, banquets, and performing arts – dance, theatre and music.

The Trust has made enhancements to the design to accommodate the needs of user groups. This includes expansion to the western foyer to accommodate exhibitions and give greater flexibility, back of house (service) areas on the eastern side to allow for future proofing and expansion, enhancements to the Genesis Theatre that can now be set in 14 different configurations with operational ease, an orchestral pit and lift, and an additional level for a Green Room. The design and size of the Genesis Theatre will mean that acoustically this theatre will be one of New Zealand’s best.

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