Riverside conference centre - Council to pay $3 million
RNZ News reports today:-
Plans to build an 850-seat riverside conference and events centre in Whangārei have been revived.
Last year councillors voted not to help pay for the Ōruku Landing project, originally pitched by private developers.
The government had committed $59 million in funding.
The designs have since been scaled back, and today the council agreed to give $3m for footpaths, stormwater and traffic upgrades - far less than the $70 million needed for the former version last year.
The Prosper Northland Charitable Trust said the centre would spur $40m in visitor spending in the first five years.
It had taken over the conference centre project, and would own the finished product.
The trust's revised design provided to council had 850 seats and a 40 percent smaller floor area. Theatre capacity was removed and the building height was reduced.
Trustee Ian Reeves told RNZ the centre was also still expected to stimulate other builds nearby, including a 4-star hotel "which is very necessary - and has been acknowledged for years and years as necessary - and also further apartment developments".
More than 5000 people submitted their views on the proposals last year - nearly 80 per cent were against the old proposals.
When the council rejected the project, Whangārei MP Emily Henderson said she was "very disappointed".
Northlander and former deputy Prime MInister Winston Peters told RNZ the city was looking "a gift horse in the mouth".
Government funding of $59m for the build was about to go back into the Crown Infrastructure Partners' pool, but Ōruku campaigners asked for the money to stay ringfenced while they revised the plans. They have now retained the allocation.
Councillor Vince Cocurullo complimented their stickability today.
"They have kept it alive, they have kept the communications going," he said.
"We all thought the project was completely dead. We thought the government had turned around and said 'right this council, the Whangārei District Council doesn't want it, therefore it's not going to happen'."
But the councillors' vote was not unanimous.
Tricia Cutforth chose to abstain, and Simon Reid (Ngāpuhi) was against, and said it was unfair for some building projects to have infrastructure costs cut, and others not.
"Our ratepayers have clearly told me - well the ones that have contacted me - that they have not had any help in a development."
Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.
While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.
And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?
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41.2% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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57.2% No, I enjoy it
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
Whangarei Film Society - screenings for Thursday April 2nd
Good People
The film night for our next WFS screening will be on Thursday 2nd April in the Capitaine Bougainville Theatre at Forum North, 7 Rust Ave Whangarei.
At 6pm, WFS will screen the fast and frantic Paris comedy, The French Job.
Our 8pm screening is the heartfelt Italian comedy, A World Apart.
THE FRENCH JOB
France, subtitles, 2024, Comedy
94 mins, Rated M (strong language)
Cast: Melvil Poupaud, Steve Tientcheu, Julia Piaton, Sofiane Zermani
Director: Dominique Baumard
In 2010, five paintings were stolen from a Paris gallery. They included a Modigliani, a Matisse and a Picasso. They were never found.
Inspired by this unsolved art heist, this comedy imagines what may have happened to the stolen works.
Yonathan is a watch expert with a boring and predictable life. That changes when he meets Éric, a charismatic con man.
Things go from bad to crazy when they cross paths with Jo, a brilliant but volatile thief, who Eric has hired for a daring (and insane) art robbery.
Fast and very funny, this heist film blends sharp twists and dark humour to deliver a wildly inventive take on the most infamous art robbery of the 21st century. - IMDB
Showing at Forum North, 7 Rust Ave Whangarei on Thursday, 2nd April at 6pm and Thursday 9th April at 8pm.
View the trailer at: www.youtube.com...
Tickets: Door sales only. $10 WFS members. Non-members pay $5 extra as an Associate Membership fee per film (Total of $15).
All welcome. Cash only please – NO EFTPOS AVAILABLE.
Like us on Facebook or visit whangareifilmsociety.org to sign up for free updates on the films we're screening each week.
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