$ 800,000 trust payout draws criticism

Sport New Zealand has come under fire from the Auditor- General over payments made to an Auckland trust totalling $ 800,000.

It comes after a series of complaints over Sport NZ’s funding of the Harbour Access Trust, which was to lead the development of the illfated National Ocean Water Sports Centre in Takapuna.

The facility proved controversial from the outset, with community groups railing against attempts to close down the popular Takapuna Holiday Park where the work was planned.

The project was scrapped last July after protracted battles with the local community board.

Over that time Sport NZ paid out $ 800,000 to the trust. With efforts to build in Takapuna abandoned and Yachting NZ now scouting locations elsewhere for the centre, Sport NZ has little to show for that money.

In June last year the AuditorGeneral’s office wrote to Sport NZ to express concerns over the shortcomings in its dealings with the trust. It found “the limited nature of the business case, and the lack of a funding agreement . . . did not represent good practice”. It recommended Sport NZ address the funding agreement issues before further payments.

Sport NZ head Peter Miskimmin said his organisation accepted the findings. “There are issues related to tightening up our processes at our end, which we accept.

“It was a very unusual project, it had been going for nearly four years. It started with a lot of enthusiasm and we thought we were going to have a far straighter line at being able to develop the project there.”