Govt to give $5M towards 1990 Games

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 1

Govt to give $5M towards 1990 Games

PA Wellington The Government will provide $5 million to stage the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, less than half the sum sought by the Games organising committee. The long-awaited allocation was announced yesterday by the Minister of Recreation and Sport, Mr Moore, after a meeting with the Games organising committee’s chairman, Mr Joe McManemin. Mr McManemin said later that the level of Governmment assistance was disappointing, but would not result in cuts in plans for the Games. “At least I now have facts and figures to take back to Auckland for discussions with the Games board and local bodies,” he said. “There will be no trimming back. There is a lot of private enterprise money out there and it must be utilised. We will get the money.” The running cost of the Games, excluding capital costs, is estimated at $3l million to $35 million.

The Games organisers

had sought $10.5 million from the Government, and had indicated it might request a further $5 million.

Mr Moore described the taxpayer contribution of $5 million as fair, especially in comparison with the Government allocation of $533,333 to the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games. In today’s terms, that amounted to $2 million. “There was a strong argument in the Cabinet that Auckland should get the same as Christchurch received,” Mr Moore said. “The Government does not have an open cheque book and the rest of the money will have to be found locally through corporate sponsorship and local government.”

The $5 million to be supplied by the Government includes $1.5 million set aside by the Lottery Board. Mr Moore said an unused grant of $230,000 to the Auckland Regional Authority might also be directed to the Games. The grant was made in 1975 to assist an Auckland gymnastics project.