Delays over settling the traffic access arrangements at Baypark are caused by a lack of communication between the Tauranga City Council and its CCO, Tauranga City Venues Ltd, says Baypark promoter Willie Kay.
The only information he had to work from during the process was a photocopied sketch, and when he asked the TCVL delegate John Adshead for a proper site plan, he was told that was the responsibility of the council.

The photocopied sketch presented to Baypark promoter Willie Kay.

'I have never seen a site plan,” says Willie.
The Indoor Sports and Exhibition Centre will occupy part of the land now used as the pits area for speedway events.
As speedway promoter Willie's responsibility is the speedway community; the car owners, crews, sponsors, families, spectators and other commercial interests involved.
'I felt it was my responsibility to ensure that the speedway could continue,” says Willie.
'These things can be done lawyer to lawyer, or the two parties can work out the agreement in detail then pass it to the lawyers to document.
'I had meetings with John Adshead, and we were almost there, when on August 3, TCVL changed its tack and decided to go lawyer to lawyer.
'John expressed his disappointment to me because he felt we were almost there. He said he was not allowed to speak to me.
'Then we had to try and set up with the lawyers and go over everything. 'We did that in Auckland, lawyer to lawyer, at great expense to TCVL. It took 14 hours to go through it.”
Willie's been aware of the sports centre since he held the stick while Bob Clarkson took the original levels. He's never been opposed to it.
The stadium was built by Bob Clarkson on land leased by the speedway community, says Willie.
'I have never been against this,” says Willie. 'The main concern was access. All the council wanted was access, but it came down to traffic management, who was cleaning up afterwards, things like that and how we are going to deal with it. The variations took time.”
He says the negotiation processed has disadvantaged the speedway community because the time spent on the negotiations has come out of the preparation time for the upcoming speedway season.