NEW ZEALAND – Following the New Zealand minister of economic development’s call for expressions of interest to identify a location for a new international convention centre, an iwi authority, who represents Maori tribal interests, says it can transform a derelict area of Auckland into “a destination anchor” with the new venue.
Local newspaper New Zealand Herald reported the iwi, Ngati Whatua o Orakei Maori Trust Board, is to lead a consortium hoping to develop the old railway yards behind Quay St’s Vector Arena, which they currently lease to Auckland City Council.
Chief executive Tiwana Tibble says its proposal would “rejuvenate an ugly site it had been asking the council to develop for years. We see it as a golden mile. The vision should be that it leads to the development of the whole of Quay Street”.
The new international convention centre, the authorities hope, can attract 22,000 extra visitors to the country a year. The tribal project hopes to include 29,000sqm of exhibition space, a railway station and car park in its proposal.
Tibble says the proposed iwi project would be 15 minutes from a range of four- and five-star options.
Existing event space, SkyCity, have also put in a bid for the new convention centre. “If SkyCity has a monopoly casino licence, which is a licence to print money, should they get a further subsidy to build a convention centre next to their site to make them more money? I don't think that's right,” adds Tibble.
