A $5 million boost for Ōamaru’s proposed new event centre, has moved it from a probable to a definite, says one trust member.

The Waitaki District Council further discussed and adopted the 2023/24 Annual Plan at a meeting on Tuesday (27 June), where it was decided to increase council funding for the event centre project to $15m, from the initially promised $10m.

Network Waitaki Event Centre trustee Deidre Senior said the additional funding from council is “fantastic”.

“It confirms that the project will definitely be going ahead,” she said.

“It also means now that as a trust we can confirm a real plan of attack for the last part of the funding drive, which will include us now being able to apply to other contestable funding agencies.”

The fundraising target is $32m, and the council's contribution brings the total to the best part of $27m, Deidre said.

The trust was aware of members of the community who were hesitant to contribute to the fundraising, as they were not sure if it would happen.

“For those people it will now mean that they will have confidence in contributing to the cause, and we look forward to their contributions now coming in too.”

The trust can now plan strategically for its final push to gather the remaining funding, and further developments (such as design and planning) can be carried out as a result.

“We will certainly be looking under every stone for any funding sources, and will be working with council to find other local and central government funding that we might be able to access.

“We are moving from 'let's make it happen' to 'it's happening' - and we want everyone who can be, to be on board,” she said.

During the engagement for the 2023-24 Annual Plan, the community was consulted on whether they wanted council to hold the commitment to the event centre at $10 million, increase it to $15 million, or stop the project.

The council deferred making a decision on this at the 30 May meeting, until Tuesday, to gather more information, and weigh up the benefits of the facility against the ongoing costs of running it.

An artist's impression of what the Waitaki Event Centre could look like. PHOTO: Supplied/WDC

Councillor Jim Thomson said when they sat together around the table, councillors tended to focus a lot on costs.

“I think this is an opportunity to focus on investment. We’re investing in the future of our young people . . . this shouldn’t be a question of 'should we or shouldn’t we', this should be a question of 'how do we make it happen?',” he said.

Deputy Mayor Hana Halalele also spoke in support of the $15 million option, noting the number of families who have to travel long distances out of the district every weekend to support their children’s sporting activities. 

“We could offer that opportunity here in our community. I understand the challenges in terms of cost but I also want to advocate for the wellbeing of the community,” she said. 

She urged her council colleagues to consider the legacy they could leave by unlocking the funding to ensure the centre could achieve its full potential.

Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher agreed, and said there was no doubt the centre would be a huge asset to the community and its wellbeing, and bring many economic opportunities to the wider district.

“There is a real need for a facility of this scale, and we know that this will help keep families in our district, and attract new families to move here,” he said.

“We are excited about turning the centre into a reality and building a facility that we are all going to be proud of, and enjoy for many years to come. 

“We have agreed on how our council can fund this, without all of the cost being covered by our community via their rates, which is important during this challenging time. 

“We look forward to exploring the opportunities the centre presents and welcoming the community to it when it’s completed.”

Of the $15m agreed on, $10 million will be loan-funded over 20 years, and the remaining $5m will be funded from sources that do not have a rates impact, one of which is likely to be the RMA Reserves Fund which currently has a balance in excess of $2m.

Other decisions confirmed at Tuesday's meeting was a rates increase, on average, of 7.95% - below the 9.3% predicted in the 2021-2031 long-term plan; the addition of the Maheno Water Scheme into the council’s operations, at the request of its users; and an increase to parking costs. 

From Saturday (1 July) the current two hours of free parking in Ōamaru's central business area will be reduced to one hour through the winter months until October, and paid parking after the free hour will increase to $2 per hour from $1. In October the free hour will be removed.

Council also confirmed the Ōamaru Visitor Centre, which operates out of Whitestone City, will receive $100,000 for 2023-24. This is a reduction on the $150,000 the centre was receiving last financial year, but an increase on the $50,000 which was initially proposed.