The buy out of the Baypark Speedway contract by Tauranga City Venues Ltd is being welcomed by speedway drivers.
Rodney Wood pictured here after winning the prestigious New Zealand Sprint Car Championship in 2010.
'Basically the mood is, the vast majority of the competitors are pretty excited, these are exciting days for us really,” says 2010 New Zealand Sprint Car Champion and member of the Bay of Plenty Speedway Association Inc, Rodney Wood.
'We are definitely excited about the positives going forward, that there's room for improvement and room for competitors to have more say in how the place is run.
'I think it is just time for a change, to get some new energy in there, new ideas – that would be good.”
The change in administration means the competitors will see improvements to the track surface, which has been a point of contention over the past few years, says Rodney.
'The club is working with TCVL, and intends working together with TCVL as to how it's going to run from here forward.
'The club is very proactive in implementing the kind of things that the drivers have at heart and to ensure that speedway will be good entertainment.
'That's a strong priority for us as a club.
'People have had their frustrations over the last few years, but we have the opportunity now to sort out something with some of the issues that have been underlying there and move forward, which is good.”
TCVL announced its purchase of the Baypark Speedway operations contract yesterday.
The purchase gives TCVL the ability to comprehensively manage the whole Baypark site and will enhance the sustainability of the venue and TCVL, says TCVL chairman Graeme Elvin.
'Purchasing the speedway contract will give us greater control and flexibility and will enable us to manage the whole site in an integrated way.”
Baypark has been the home of speedway in the Bay of Plenty since the venue opened in 2001.
TCVL will look at bringing additional speedway expertise on board to complement existing personnel, says TCVL general manager Irvin McSweeney.
Tauranga City Council approved a loan to TCVL to fund the purchase of the speedway at its meeting on April 27. The interest bearing loan is for a five year term.
Former Baypark promoter Willie Kay is also a director of Speedway NZ.
He is seeking re-election as a director and is standing for president in elections to be held at the AGM on June 24/25.
12 comments
POSITIVE FOR WHO?
Posted on 14-06-2011 11:49 | By PLONKER
Certinly not for ratepayers who will be hammered even more for this RORT. The deal is now complete and the cost is a reflection of complete incompetence from the start. Murray Guy even admitted that "thought we got it all" but truth is thise doing the deal in 2007 did not have a clue and that has cost ratepayers a $2-3m a year ... head should roll!!!
HOW MUCH DID IT COST ?
Posted on 14-06-2011 13:02 | By Hebegeebies
It is Okay reporting this ransom but what is the obscene cost to TCC ratepayers.Lets have the dollars and cents not the self interest warm and fuzzies.
Shocking
Posted on 14-06-2011 13:58 | By Jitter
A TCC owned company buys out Baypark Speedway. Wonderful ! A now fully owned council entity again takes over a major loss making organisation so ratepayers are going to be slammed to pick up the annual losses, again. This is absolutely ridiculous. It has never made a profit so what makes TCC think they can turn it around. Every large project TCC has anything to do with turns into a loss making disaster. It is time the people making these "brilliant" decisions (Council members or council employed beaurocrats) were made to answer to ratepayers for their insane decisions and then given the push. It appears no one in TCC or on staff are capable of making a sensible business decision. Bloody hopeless.
A SPARE MILLION+ COST
Posted on 14-06-2011 16:55 | By YOGI
Presume the same "high quality" legal advice has been used again so then TCC will be stitched up yet again.
POSITIVE CHANGE FOR WHO?
Posted on 14-06-2011 18:00 | By WARTS N ALL
Certainly for Speedway as now they have a soft touch for funds compared to Clarkson's tight fist. TCVL philosphy is if it moves throw money at it, if it moves fast throw more money at it, The TCC policy for TCVL must be to spend more than TCAL, they will have there work cut out to do that, but that they are clearly taking the challenge it seriously.
FIX TEH MESS FROM BEFORE = THROW MORE MONEY AT IT
Posted on 15-06-2011 13:05 | By DRONE
All involved in 2006-2007 have cost Tauranga mega-millions for this shambles, why was it even purchased int eh first place, then throwing million more to fix the mistakes of the past, like they FORGOT TO BUY THE CASH COW!!! all that says is this lot should not be there, this is a basic and simple stuff up and now millions more are thrown at it on a publisied basis that it is actually a good thing, that fails to acknowledge that that it was the wrong decision at the start, during and since. Did I miss anything ? NOT!!!
YES DRONE
Posted on 17-06-2011 09:37 | By PLONKER
Murray has just said that Councillor thought that they were already buying everything then, only to find that they did not. Where is the legal department on that ... Actually to be real on it, there was an operating agreement put in place for the track just before settlement so the Speedway management shifted off sideways quick as. Guess who did that?
The only circus in the world
Posted on 17-06-2011 21:48 | By Nigel Barker
that is not open to the public. Ladies & Gentlemen let me introduce to you TCC. Now IMO Rodney Wood is a very successful business man in his own right. Rodney Wood is some one that has integrity. Rodney Wood is a person that I would trust. He comments that there are things that need to be done - the track surface for one. Who will fund that?? Need I say any more?? Not so long ago in these columns I recall some one saying a commissioner needs to be put in place to investigate and take over the running of TCC. I recall many saying there is a lack of transparency in the operation of TCC. Many saying they (TCC) operate a closed shop. Citizens & ratepayers commenting that it is all very secretive. Ratepayers not being able to get answers to "ANY" questions about TCC finances and the operation in general on the inside. In very recent times an elected representative of "The People" was not able to get information from the "acting" CEO (she decided it was to costly to provide and unnecessary). Having had a number of years in senior management in various local authorities my thoughts were "Bulls**t" that does not happen. Guess what I have been experiencing in recent months?? Guess what is going to change?? - Citizens Monitoring Council -
RORT on RORT
Posted on 18-06-2011 08:51 | By Hebegeebies
Let me repeat it is a load of Bollocks .What has been the real cost of this charade and what are the impending costs.It is going to bite TCC Ratepayers in the artz yet again.
PAID MORE FOR LESS AGAIN
Posted on 18-06-2011 11:49 | By MISS ADVENTURE
Now they have shelled out MORE money for MORE losses MORE of the time.
buggerme
Posted on 21-06-2011 15:41 | By buggerme
Yes a positive change at least TCVL staff can access their office wothout having to buy a ticket, thats right all TCVL security staff were made to buy a tickt during speedway to go to the toilet or work in the boxes due to the crap contract TCVL had with Willie 09/2010 season TCVL spent $70,000 arguing with Willie over the contract which is as much as TCVL got from Willie for rental of the stadium Builder Bob would pull the strings and our Crosby would jump thru hoops Well done Bob I take my hat off too you stick it too the corrupt bunch, somebody has too
Hook line and sinker candidates
Posted on 21-06-2011 17:18 | By MINDER
What have the spendthrifts at Tauranga City Venues Limited (TCVL) and TCC paid out on this dubious deal? From all accounts, probably in the vicinity of $1 million. When the Stadium was purchased by Council TCC/TCVL for $12 million from Mr Clarkson in September 2007, the Speedway Operating Agreement needed to have been included as part of the so called 'deal”. It wasn't, because Messrs. Town and Crosby, the TCC negotiators and Council, when it finally approved the agreement, were willing to go along with Mr Clarkson's try-on to retain the Speedway business. The upshot was TCC through TCVL purchased a white elephant because the vital ‘cash flow' needed was virtually non-existent. So, who will benefit from the latest TCC money splurge? In all probability, the moneys paid to Baypark Speedway Promotions Ltd. will ultimately end up in guess who's hands as the beneficiary of Council's generosity or stupidity. For the record, TCC originally paid $12 million and now in 2011 finally purchases the Speedway operating agreement for say $1 million, in the process losing 4 years of Speedway revenue, estimated at $4,800,000 less running expenses. TCVL and TCC including those responsible should be nailed to the wall over this mess. Incidentally, who will now pick up the tab for the imminent Speedway track upgrade or total renewal, estimated to cost at least $1/4 million at the beginning of the 2010 Speedway season. The end result is TCC ratepayers have been severely dealt to yet again, largely because of the careless ineptitude of their TCC servants and elected members.
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