Whether the Rugby World Cup semifinals and grand final will be able to be viewed on a big screen in downtown Tauranga is to be decided at an extraordinary Tauranga City Council meeting today.
The 1pm meeting will present to councillors all that has been gleaned over the last week from meetings between the TCC, bar operators and other interested parties about the options available.
Providing a public big screen became viable when Matt Hayward from De Bier Haus and Riki Walls from Syndicate offered last Monday to pay for the hire of a big screen at the southern end of The Strand.
The council has been exploring options since then and today is expected to report back on the pros and cons of the various options including what they will cost the city.
There are five options, with possible venues including the TECT arena, Wharepai Domain, and three possibilites for The Strand.
Costs range from $47,158 to $19,000, with variations on the amounts of sponsorship etc.
'We are looking at options of more than one screen because of the length and narrowness of The Strand,” says Stuart.
'There're about three options that we are modelling through at the moment.”
There are security and licensing issues to be resolved, and also the avoidance of legal issues with the International Rugby Board.
The council signed a confidential agreement with the RWC2011 which restricts what it can do.
It can't use a big screen to bring people along to the REAL Festival and it cannot advertise the existence of the big screen.
But while the council cannot invite the public to The Strand to watch the Rugby World Cup, it can invite people into town to watch the rugby.
Read the outcome of today's meeting here.
15 comments
CONFUCIUS say man with no brain cause pain
Posted on 03-10-2011 09:18 | By POCO O POCO
So now we have 3 bloody big screens being considered. What is the cost now $150000 ?. Seems bozos never clicked before that would be crowd and viewing issues- DAH
Options in my agenda ..
Posted on 03-10-2011 09:49 | By Murray.Guy
There are five options IN MY agenda to be considered. I accept that what is in the agenda may not reflect reality, the intention of the proposers!... A) TECT Arena estimated at $24,000….B) Wharepai Domain at $19,000…. C) The Strand Southern End at $47,158.00 (less commercial input $8500)…. D) The Strand Northern End $47,158 (NO Commercial input offered) …. The Strand 3 data projectors and smaller screens $29,850 (NO commercial input offered). Subject to hearing submissions and or the provision of new information (which is quite likely), this Councillor will not be supporting the use of ratepayers money for any of the 5 options presented. Councillors (most of us) and the community were excluded from any discussion in regards the RWC until recent months, with staff, Mayor Crosby and former CEO Steven Town assuming responsibility (but likely no accountability). It's too late folks. Throughout our city arrangements and investments have been made. Personally, a 'user pays' option in Baycourt and or TECT Arena would have been my suggestion if I'd been brought into the loop soon enough. Both have no security issues or trains, are licensed for a beer, accessible parking, good seating for all ages, awesome food at TECT, easy access toilets, and ALL WEATHER! Include a few local live acts and make a real party of it! And that's for free from he who refuses to be a 'sheep'.
It is a thinking game but TCC tend to drag you down to their level
Posted on 03-10-2011 09:53 | By KAMIKAZE
The blame for this shambles lies squarely at the feet of MAYOR CROSBY and EX CEO TOWN (since departed)and their furtive secretive squirrelling like behavior so no one else knew in time what the RWC arrangements were.Elected members please listen to ratepayers and residents as 90% don't want this BIG TV funded by TCC Ratepayers.Did you TCC people ever consider doing screenings at Baycourt and charging an entry fee then it could have been family orientated and have paid its own way at say $5 per ticket. Even the glass box on the strand was a viable option.Weather problems would have been taken out of the eqation also.Everyone could then have simply migrated back to the bars and cafes at 10.30pm.after the games.Do we have a winner here ????
Brilliant scheme -Baycourt has got my vote Poco
Posted on 03-10-2011 12:55 | By EYESPY
Great venue book it out for 2 semis on 15 & 16 October Bronze final on 21 October and the Final on 23 October all starting around 8.30/9.00pm. Charge $5 or $10 per head will pay for itself returning up to $40000 gross over the 4 nights.Great family entertainment too.Do we have a deal or what.?
to little to late
Posted on 03-10-2011 13:03 | By Mr bay
You snooze you loose and that is what the tcc has done. Its to late, how long ago did NZ get awarded the World cup, You all should have put your thinking caps on then, and Murray your in the council you could have stood up a year ago and said hey what we doing for the world cup. Guess a year ago there would have been no headlines in it for you. There are so many options, the TECT areana,yes Kamakazi Baycourt, what about the QE2, all could have had a cover charge. But like I said you snooze you Loose and Tauranga has lost AGAIN. Guess we should just get back to our knitting........
Just leave to private enterprise
Posted on 03-10-2011 14:12 | By Gee Really
Leave the screen and other possible venues to promoters to organise. EYESPY or others could book Baycourt and make the money themselves, if their idea is so good. Council should keep out of it at this late stage. But, Cr Guy, they shouldn't have bought Speedway either in my opinion. Consistency is important.
For whom
Posted on 03-10-2011 14:23 | By waima20
The local homeless along the strand keep asking when is the big screen coming........
All over now Rover
Posted on 03-10-2011 14:56 | By KAMIKAZE
Done and dusted TCC Councillors have now resolved to throw $10000 at the peasants and hope the problem will disappear. It will then be up to Commercial interests to pick up the slack and that looks to have a snowballs chance in hell of happening.Watch this space got a week to sort it out or they can plan for 2015 RWC from Outer Mongolia or wherever it is being held.>>>>> Gee Really this always has to be Community funded and driven not TCC Ratepayers.Agreed TCC should never have purchased the Stadium nor built Sports & Expo there or at that obscene price. LOL
Mr Guy & Speedway
Posted on 03-10-2011 15:11 | By Murray.Guy
Mr Guy did not buy the speedway and ratepayers will not be meeting the loan payments. Elected Members agreed unanimously that TVCL's purchase of the 'rights to speedway' was critical as a proven income to ensure minimum ratepayer subsidy of the TECT Arena. Hardly a comparison to a ratepayer funded big screen on the strand. Now, the meeting regards the big screen. Cr Molloy moved, seconded by Cr Moultie, that TCC and ratepayers manage and fund a big screen on the Strand. Councillors Baldock and Christian were absent on leave and Cr Catherine Stewart was 'just absent'. The motion was lost with only Cr Molloy in support. Cr. David Stewart moved that ratepayers contribute a maximum of $10,000 to a 'commercially' managed initiative (external to Council) should a community need be proven. This was passed 1 against, 7 in support. I asked that TCVL not be excluded from the mix of potential providers, in my opinion being best placed to provide a city and family wide service in regards the RWC at the new TECT Arena. No security, weather, food, drink, toilet issues!
gj10
Posted on 03-10-2011 15:20 | By Ross01
As our council insists on treating Tauranga with a retirement village mentality, why don't they erect a screen on the Strand carpark? There we could roll up on our electric wheelchairs, walkers. crutches etc or even walk to the area and treat the show like a drive in movie . Or is it really all about selling grog at a few Bars
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
Posted on 03-10-2011 15:26 | By TCLANG
Did the RWC sneak up on the council while they dozed? You should have had things in place or decided to do nothing long ago rather than painting yourself into a corner late in the game. This is an opportunity lost and the lesson should be learned once and for all. The energy you wasted on Boobs could have solved this in a heartbeat. What was in the secret agreement w RWC??? Is this how local government works in NZ--I'm not impressed, as I was (NOT) with day 2 of your so-called Multicultural Feastival---absolutely pathetic!! This town deserves better leadership and accountability. 'nuff said. DocTom
TYPICAL TIMETABLE
Posted on 04-10-2011 12:38 | By PLONKER
This lot will be 1/2 organised the day after the final, then wonder why no one was there.
@ MR GUY !
Posted on 06-10-2011 00:53 | By MASSA KISSED
Wipe your chin, both of them! Baypark and TECT Arena were all paid for with "DEBT' you already know this, both will make losses and you also know this VERY well. So if TCC is not going to pay off hte "debt" then who will be? You? Rotorua? Goldman Saks? Who will it be come on Mr Guy explain your way out of that one!!! Or is it more of the fudged creative bookkeeping at TCC that magically makes it all happen and no one knows including you of how or why, it just does!
TCC dropped the ball and grabbed defeat out of the jaws of victory
Posted on 06-10-2011 10:14 | By Insider
Enquiries indicate that TCC could probably have got funds from RWC for a Fanbase including funding a big TV screen had they applied a year or so ago but not now at the last moment.TCC citizens can hold ex CEO TOWN and MAYOR CROSBY responsible for this little cockup they were running the SS Tauranga ship when it hit the reef or should we say wall.
@ INSIDER
Posted on 06-10-2011 19:56 | By PLONKER
"Hit the reef" ? what are you talking about, the reef is like a permanent feature, like it is glued on and staying. You have missed the point of how these two clowns operate, they dont want money in they are only happy when it is rolling out by the truck load and it is all borrowed ... one day some poor mug is a gunna have to pay it back.
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