- By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter funded by New Zealand on Air
Plans to consolidate speedway were thrown into question after a letter suggested Auckland Council misrepresented Speedway New Zealand.
At a recent council Governing Body meeting, councillors deferred making a decision on whether to transfer $11 million of funding to the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board for speedway at Waikaraka Park.
The $11m would be used to consolidate speedway in Auckland, winding up speedway activity at Western Springs Stadium.
The adjournment of the meeting for a later decision came after councillor John Watson read out a letter from Speedway New Zealand that was sent to him.
“At no time was Speedway New Zealand notified of any consolidation of speedway at Waikaraka Park nor were we informed that the letter requesting support for the continued funding of Waikaraka Park would be used in such a way,” Watson reiterated.
A letter from Speedway New Zealand, dated August 19, was attached to the meeting agenda and said the organisation ‘wholeheartedly support the ongoing investment by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited to upgrade the facilities at Waikaraka Park’.
Watson read out that Speedway New Zealand felt the use of the August 19 letter to support consolidation was a complete misrepresentation of the intent of the letter.
Watson said Speedway New Zealand’s withdrawn support was on top of a number of procedural irregularities regarding the issue.
“It questions the credibility of this process. There has already been a number of objections put on the record formally as to the way this matter has been conducted,” Watson said.
The letter prompted the meeting to come to an abrupt halt and council staff huddled at the back of the room.
After the break, council chief executive Phil Wilson advised councillors to adjourn the issue till a later date.
“I have got a professional responsibility to keep this process safe and to make sure that you have confidence in it,” Wilson said.
Councillor Andy Baker questioned the role of Speedway New Zealand, a national organisation, in what happens regionally in Auckland.
Baker noted how Speedway New Zealand had not sent the letter to all councillors, and said “the irony of the transparency comments are not lost on me”.
Councillor Josephine Bartley said she did not want to defer the decision and questioned what would happen if more letters came in.
“I thought we were doing Speedway a favour by providing them an option to future proof their sport. Clearly, they don’t see it that way,” Bartley said.
CCO governance and external partnerships manager Alastair Cameron said council staff had a professional obligation to bring councillors accurate information.
“We have put up a report which, through new information, we may have misrepresented the position, or we may not of for an organisation. We just want to clarify that,” Cameron said.
The Governing Body is due to reconvene for a decision tomorrow, October 30.
