COMPLICATING CHCH. BID Auckland '1970 Games' Plan Criticised

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 22

COMPLICATING CHCH. BID Auckland '1970 Games' Plan Criticised

Auckland’s proposal to hold a Pan-Pacific Games in 1970 could complicate Christchurch’s bid for the Commonwealth Games four years later, the chairman of the publicity committee of Commonwealth Games Promotion (Canterbury), Mr R. S. Scott, said yesterday.

He was commenting on the withdrawal of Auckland's application for the 1974 Commonwealth Games and the intention of the Auckland Amateur Sports Association to seek support for a Pan-Pacific Games of 18 countries.

“One of the key points in our claim for the Commonwealth Games is that we do not frequently have international sport in this part of the world," Mr Scott said. "Some countries would regard a Pan-Pacific Games as a fair substitute. “On the information available it seems that there would be many difficulties which would probably prevent Auckland staging a Pan-Paci-fic Games in 1970. To the best

of my knowledge there is no existing machinery to organise such an event.”

Special Statement In a statement released last I evening Mr Scott rejects the suggestion made at a meeting lof the Auckland Amateur i Sports Association that Christchurch would be unable to make a financial success of the Commonwealth Games and says that the Auckland sports body is largely responsible for any disappointment it might have at being forced to withdraw its bid for the Games. The statement says: “About the last thing we wish for is some long range sparring with Auckland over the rights and wrongs of holding the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. An encounter would produce nothing but heat, confusion and public perplexity. “Nevertheless, if the report I have studied is correct some things have been said in the north which are so wrong that they must be corrected quickly and decisively. “Confusingly, while the issue is the 1974 Games, some of the criticism relates to the application for the 1970 Games. At least, we presume this is so since we have not prepared a detailed application and budget for 1974. “Firstly, Christchurch at no stage failed to meet conditions laid down by the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. On the contrary, its application for the 1970 Games by comparison was superior in conception, detail and presentation to Auckland’s. “Budget Defects”

“Secondly, there have never been any ‘budget defects.’ The budgets were prepared by a highly qualified committee convened by Mr J. B. Taylor, a well known public accountant and sharebroker. At the

request of the N.Z.0.8.E.G.A. the setting out of the budget was changed and approved without reservation. Budget defects do not and will not exist.

Thirdly, we reject completely the statement that ‘it is inconceivable that Chrischurch can make a financial success of he Games.’ A profit has been budgeted for and the Games will be successful in every other way. "Some people overlook the fac that urban Christchurch in 1974 will be mere accessible than the Auckland of 1950. besides having approximately the same sized population.

“It has surely been the belief of most people in recent months that Christchurch would, and should, again be the chosen New Zealand city for 1974. Certainly, the Mayor and City Council of Auckland were of this view. We can well understand the disdisappointment of the Auckland A.S.A. but it was largely responsible for this itself. “Shoud our application for 1974 be accepted by the Commonwealth —and it is not unreasonable to think that Uns may happen—then what is now essentially a Christchurch promotion committee will become the New Zealand organising committee for the tenth Commonwealth Games. “We have always realised that we shall need the support of all New Zealand. We hope that the Auckland Ama teur Sports Association will see the merit of directing all of New Zealand effort towards making a success of this project,” Mr Scott concluded.