Ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations for the 1974 Games were yesterday eclipsed by climate action groups lobbying against the study, which subsequently passed by a 10-7 margin.
Mauger, deputy mayor Pauline Cotter, Sam MacDonald, Kelly Barber, Jake McLellan, Mark Peters, Tim Scandrett, Victoria Henstock, Aaron Keown and James Gough voted for the study; Sara Templeton, Tyrone Fields, Celeste Donovan, Yani Johanson, Andrei Moore, Dr Melanie Coker and Tyla Harrison-Hunt were against.
Spirited debate, which included a man wearing a Mauger mask entering the chamber floor to toss fake money, came a day after the city council flagged a 15.8 per cent rates increase in July, leaving dissenters to question the timing of the mayor’s initiative.
Mauger insisted the study by ChristchurchNZ – the city’s economic development agency – was not a precursor to an official bid to host New Zealand’s first Commonwealth Games since Auckland in 1990 in either 2030 or beyond.
“This is simply asking staff for advice, for them to come back to us on what venues we have and may need, accommodations costs, environment impacts. It is not asking for a formal business case,” he said.
Mauger said the Games events could be spread throughout the South Island, suggesting the cycling velodrome in Invercargill could be utilised.
“We don’t need a velodrome built here. We don’t have to go nuts and spend a fortune. We’ve still got the town hall, which had the weightlifting for 1974.”
Restore Passenger Rail spokesperson Aurora Garner-Randolph spearheaded debate from the public gallery, asking how the city council could investigate hosting the Games a month after some councillors advocated asset sales to address financial concerns.
“At what point from the asset sales vote did we acquire the cash to host an extravagant tea party and invite the entire Commonwealth?”
“Again we’re debating another ridiculous proposition that would not benefit the average Christchurch resident. It’s a costly, environmentally damaging project that would quite likely bankrupt our council.”
Labelling Mauger’s interest as a “vanity project” Garner-Randolph noted potential Canadian host city Alberta shelved a bid to host the 2030 Games when the cost was estimated at $3.3 billion.
Moore was concerned about public perception given revelations of imminent hikes.
“If the next day they see the council are exploring a bid for the Commonwealth Games, people struggling to pay their bills will feel fear. The time is not right,” he said.
“The answer is clearly no. Many cities larger than us have taken a look at hosting in recent years, cities with much bigger populations and better infrastructure already in place.
“They declined the opportunity because of the cost. The bid cost alone for the 2022 Games (in Birmingham, UK) cost 20 million pounds and I’m sure we can find a much better use of $42 million.”
Templeton also pointed out the city council did not have “a particularly good track record of signing up to expensive projects and expecting others to pay for them”.
To that end, councillors voted unanimously to send a letter to the Waimakariri and Selwyn district councils and Environment Canterbury seeking a financial contribution towards the construction of the Te Kaha – Christchurch Stadium.
Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon told The Star he did anticipate a request but said funds had not been earmarked.
“There is no funding put aside or anticipated in our
Long Term Plan for this,” he said.
“Any potential contribution from Waimakariri District Council would need to be subject to full community consultation before any decision was made.”
