Lobbyists Likely To Override What is Best For Auckland

Aucklanders need to start asking questions about incorrect assumptions being used in the assessment criteria for the Government’s proposed convention and exhibition centre, according to Ngati Whatua.

Chief executive of Ngati Whatua o Orakei Maori Trust Board Tiwana Tibble says lobbying of Ministry of Economic Development officials, Cabinet ministers and MPs seems to be seeding ideas that are patently wrong and likely to result in poor decisions and another lost opportunity for Auckland.

For example he says there is the ‘10 minute walk myth’ being lobbied around Wellington that says the proposed new Government-funded convention centre must be within a 10 minute walk from major hotels. It first appeared in the Request for Expressions Of Interest document produced by the Ministry of Economic Development.

Tibble says Ngati Whatua has had benchmarking research done by a specialist consultant in tourism and conventions, Gordon Campbell, who is one of the authors of the original report for this new convention centre produced in 2001. That report shows a 10 minute walk as the measure is a nonsense.

He says it fails on two counts.

“The first is, the experience of successful offshore convention and exhibition centres in Australia and Asia is that once a convention centre is being built, hotel organisations make plans to take advantage of its location and build around it. That is just common sense.”

He says the city is constantly changing and so to make decisions based on how things are today seems a little silly.
“Just this week, after the Expression of Interest for the convention centre closed, we heard a new hotel is going to be built in Anzac Avenue. Yesterday’s proximity to hotels inventory, is irrelevant.

“The second reason the 10 minute walk idea fails is, as one convention centre operator told us, a woman in heels is not likely to leave the convention centre at the end of the day and walk in streets she doesn’t know to a hotel or restaurant. Most people will be carrying bags or exhibition materials and won’t be considering a wak.

The bench marking reports says: ... “The majority of international convention delegates do not expect to have to walk to their hotel accommodation in most instances – regardless of distance.”

Under the 10 minute walk rule the very successful and highly awarded Brisbane Convention Centre would not have made the grade until the two major hotels that were built right next to it were completed.

Rather than a 10 minute walk, Tibble says, those assessing the merits of the potential sites should be focusing on the availability of convenient ‘less than 10 minute’ transport, whether that be a taxi, a tram, a bus, a ferry or a train – and yes, a walk if it is an attractive one.

He says what Ngati Whatua is saying is that you can’t base decisions on a single criteria lobbied for by two organisations bidding for the facility, that is, The Edge and Sky City.

He says they have been getting in the ears of politicians and officials and may have sold them a bill of goods about the mythical 10 minute walk which seems designed to suit their cause.

The Edge is promoting the convention centre to be an expansion of the Aotea Centre while Sky City wants it to be their facility next to their casino.
“We see the Aotea Centre option as jamming an add-on into an already boxed in site, onto an already uninspiring grey concrete building that is viewless and cold. They have a poor performance track record, best illustrated by the ‘My Fair Lady’ fiasco. As a way of trying to get it to make money it is a bad idea. Putting more goo money after bad seems hopeful at best.

“We see Sky City as the Tower of Babel option. Our Campbell report shows that there is only one out of ten sites in Australasia, built multi-level. That was Hong Kong where they had no option but to build over the water upwards. The evidence shows that no one does this by choice.

He says the selection criteria needs to be re evaluated before Auckland ends up with another missed opportunity.
The criteria should be along the lines of:
• Must be a purpose built facility
• Must be able to build a large facility on a single level – all similar facilities in Australia that we will be competing with have exhibition space on a single level. This is vital for allowing semi trailers to drive in and deliver everything from boats to cars to large displays
• Must have a ready supply of hotel rooms, restaurants and entertainment within convenient proximity
• Must support the development of the Auckland waterfront to become a world class destination - as per the City Centre Waterfront Masterplan
• Must spread the flow of economic benefit throughout the city

Tibble says Ngati Whatua may not benefit immediately, once its Quay Street site is shown to be the best option, as the land is already leased to Auckland City Council.

But it is vacant and the ground rent is already being paid for by the ratepayer.

“It would seem a waste of ratepayers money, to pay large rental on it, starting August next year.

“On principle and as a substantial ratepayer ourselves, we know it to be the best site. It is a greenfield site which means you can build exactly what is best and competitive rather than what will fit. It is a big three hectare CBD site that has good access to transport while also not requiring traffic to navigate through the cetre of the city. The site has the added benefit of having the potential to have a rail station and it is right next to the Vector Arena with an opportunity to get efficiencies by linking the Vector Arena with the new convention centre.

“It is our belief the building of the convention and exhibition centre should be used as a catalyst to give concrete meaning to Auckland City Council’s waterfront master plan which aims to make the waterfront a world class destination.

“Therefore the convention and exhibition centre and the development of the waterfront must go hand in hand. Otherwise why would you create a building with an express desire to bring in over 20,000 new international visitors to Auckland and then not focus their attention on the place you have determined needs to be a world class dstination?
“Our harbour, Rangitoto, the view to Devonport, the view of the harbour bridge, the sails, the bays around Tamaki Drive – these are the things that make central Auckland sparkle.”

ENDS

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