A last minute $750,000 request for Waipā District Council to fund a Sports Hall of Fame at the Velodrome in Cambridge has been declined.
But the council will first consult the community about the project and decide whether or not money tagged for a Cambridge Museum could be transferred to the Sports Hall of Fame.
The application was one of eight new applications for funds heard by the council’s Strategic Planning and Policy committee at its Annual Plan hearings this week.
The hall of fame is presently in Dunedin and councillors there are aware of plans to move it.
A consultation document on the Waipā District Council Annual Plan received 27 submissions and 14 were heard by the committee.
Council could add $43,500 to its budget to keep the rates increase for 2022-2023 to 4.4 per cent.
The Sports Hall of Fame application from the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust came from left field although it was clear from the submission there had been months of activity behind the scenes by a project team of Graeme Maw, Alan Livingston, Michelle Hollands, Rick Person, Miff Macdiarmid and Simon Perry.
That team canvassed iwi, Hamilton and Waikato Tourism, Sport Waikato, Brian Perry Charitable Trust and Waipā council to establish the Sports Hall of Fame on the top floor of the Velodrome.
Cambridge Resthaven’s request for Waipā District Council to fund a $84,000 bedsit conversion was granted after staff found money in the Pensioner Housing Reserve Fund. It comes with a proviso that tenants who occupy the unit pay in line with the Pensioner Housing Policy meaning a tenant will pay no more than 30 per cent of their gross superannuation income.
The Cambridge Town Hall Community Trust will also receive $40,000 to establish a visual identity or brand, digital presence and bring the Town Hall back to life.
Its first task will be to establish a connection with the community. Chairperson Kirsty Johnson told the committee by establishing a brand strategy “we’ll have a solid foundation to begin a programme of engagement.”
Alasdair Nicoll of Ōhaupō was surprised at the lack of money council planned to spend on its peat lakes.
There is $26,000 allocated for planned operational expenditure and separate expenditure for Lake Ngā Roto, Rotopiko and Mangakaware.
“So this leaves 13 peat lakes to share $26,000 of operational expenditure between them. In other words $2000 each,” he said.
No additional funds were allocated but staff will liaise with Nicoll, who lives next to Lake Rotomanuka.
Supplementary Information – Home of Cycling Charitable Trust
- Home of Cycling Charitable Trust: $750,000 (Declined)
- Waikato Screen, NZ: $36,519 for the base operating expenses of Grow Waikato Screen for a three year period which can be paid in a one off lump sum or broken down to annual instalments of $12,173. (Partially funded)
- Friends of Hamilton Zoo Inc: $10,000 (Declined)
- Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce: $15,000 for a feasibility study as well as $35,000 if the trial proceeds (Partially funded)
- Ōhaupō Community, Sport and Recreation Centre: $10,000 (Declined)
- Cambridge Town Hall Community Trust: $150,000 (Partially funded $40,000)
- Waipā Community Trust: $3500 (Funded).
