Feedback sought on raceway’s future
The public are being asked for their views on the future of New Plymouth’s racecourse as part of the process to settle a long-running lease issue.
New Plymouth District Council is working with Taranaki Racing Inc (TRI) on the future of the 38-hectare site, which is on prime land in the central city.
NPDC says it bought the land in the 1950s and agreed a perpetual lease with the Taranaki Jockey Club.
But a later name change invalidated the agreement, and as a result, TRI may have been operating there without a valid lease for up to 20 years, the council claims.
TRI acknowledges the legal snafu but maintains it has the right to be there.
It has asked for a perpetual lease on the same terms as the original agreement, a move that would require changing or drafting new laws via Parliament.
Last year, council staff recommended a Reserves Act lease, which would see the land leased to TRI for 10 years at rent of $1 per annum, with a right of renewal for a further 23 years at market rent.
This was not supported by TRI, and its chief executive, Carey Hobbs, said they had submitted to the council that consultation is not necessary.
‘‘We’re confident the majority of people in the community will support the continuation of the racing club being at New Plymouth Raceway.’’
The racing industry still brought millions into the economy, he said.
‘‘The last thing we want to do though is get into a protracted legal battle with the council.
‘‘We’ve had a great relationship with the council for many, many decades.
‘‘We support what’s best for the community.’’
There were a number of
assumptions TRI did not agree with, he said – such as the council saying it bought the raceway in the 1950s, while TRI’s position is it was given to the district.
‘‘The truth’s probably in the middle of those two things.’’
New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom said council had voted to consult with the community.
‘‘It’s a really high-profile green space in the heart of the city that the community will have views on, and that’s the process that we should run.’’
Four options are being offered in the survey:
■ Granting a ‘‘forever’’ or perpetual lease to the race club.
■ Granting a lease of up to 33 years. ■ Creating a short-term lease of three to five years.
■ Ending the lease.
The survey, available on the NPDC website, closes on July 10 and will be used to inform decision making.
Holdom said it was his understanding that the decision will have to be made by the time the council’s LongTerm Plan is finalised in 12 months.
Sport Taranaki, supported by TRI, is working with 17 clubs on a plan for a multi-purpose sports hub at the raceway and NPDC has voted to put $150,000 towards the design in the proposed Annual Plan for 2020/21, which is being signed off today.
Sport Taranaki chief executive Michael Carr said the lease was a separate issue to the multisport hub, and as it was a staged project they could work with whatever happened.
Carr said Sport Taranaki had been working very closely with the racing club, which was very supportive of the multisport hub.
Over the next couple of weeks Sport Taranaki will be working with stakeholders on plans before releasing more information to the public, he said.