QEII project alive and well says councillor

Press, 23 September 1983, Page 5

QEII project alive and well says councillor

The national sports training centre planned for Queen Elizabeth II Park was “alive and well, and progressing with careful and considered planning,” said the Christchurch City Council parks and recreation committee’s deputy chairman, Cr A. J. Graham, yesterday.

Cr Graham was defending progress on the project after reports that slow fundraising could jeopardise a $1 million Lottery Board grant for the centre.

“The mail each day reveals support,” he said, “and once final planning has been completed, large commercial organisations will be approached. It would not be prudent to seek commercial support until planning and such other details are finalised.

“Indications are, in fact, that present support forthcoming is $100,000,” he said. That would be well within the guidelines set by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Highet, for getting the project started.

Cr Graham said that Cr Rex Lester, the training centre’s establishment committee chairman, had led the centre team “with enthusiasm and necessary caution.” “For the Citizen’s Association to attack an independent organisation and undermine the constructive work being done is shameful,” he said. Even though the project had been promoted by a Labour council, it was a non-political activity. “To’seek political collu-

sion with the National Party and continue to mislead is dirty politics and completely unnecessary,” said Cr Graham.

The Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, said yesterday that he had not asked the member of Parliament for Fendalton, Mr P. R. Burdon, to raise the question in the House. “I don’t know that anybody did,” he said. “I am sure there has been some concern in Wellington.” The Lottery Board money was sitting there, he said. “They are wondering what’s happening. I’m not even sure that Mr Highet hasn’t mentioned this to me.” Sir Hamish is a member of the Lottery Board Advisory Committee.

He said that there had been a singular lack of information about the establishment committee’s activities. He did not even know who was on it.

There had been “very little communication between whatever they call it — the establishment committee or the trust — and the council,” said Sir Hamish. “Cr Lester has said the trust has yet to be formed, which surprises.”

Although the establishment committee was a separate body from the council, I think we are entitled to know, he said. “It has a lot to do with the council.” He had never been asked to participate or sit in on workings of the committee, although he had been a foundation subscriber to the centre. He had not even

been invited to the launching of the project, but he had attended. “It seems to me I’ve been rather kept on the sidelines, shall we say,” said Sir Hamish. He could have helped with his expertise in fundraising. “I think I have been almost deliberately kept to one side,” he said. “Now you can draw your own conclusions.”

He had no doubt that important planning had been done by the centre’s architects, but he had not seen it.

It would be a great shame for Christchurch if the project went into abeyance, he said. Sporting bodies would be extremely disappointed. He had been an early advocate of a training centre at the Commonwealth Games facilities, especially the provision of an indoor gymnasium. “At the moment, I would say it seems — on the face of it — that it is not making the progress that it should,” said Sir Hamish. “Good luck to him,” he said of Cr Lester, his Deputy Mayor and Labour rival in this year’s Mayoral contest. He wondered if Cr Lester had good business people and fund-raising experts around him. “You know, you need a Ron Scott on this,” he said. “I would like to know how much they have actually got in their bank account." He understood that some money was expected to come from the continuing sales of T-shirts at Queen Elizabeth II Park.