Goodbye Auckland? Team New Zealand is talking with offshore cities to host the next America's Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Goodbye Auckland? Team New Zealand is talking with offshore cities to host the next America's Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell.
Team New Zealand officially rejected a $99m offer of cash and support nearly two weeks ago, opening the door for the Kiwi syndicate to take the next defence of the cup overseas. A new poll reveals how Kiwis feel about the local offer.
New Zealanders believe the Government and AucklandCouncil's $99 million bid to host the next America's Cup was about right.
A NZ Herald-Kantar nationwide poll found 43 per cent believed the $99m offer was sufficient with 25 per cent saying the Government and the council should not have offered any funding to Emirates Team New Zealand.
Just 11 per cent of respondents said the Government and council should have offered Team New Zealand whatever it wanted, and just over one in five (21 per cent) were unsure about how much public funding should go to holding the next event in the City of Sails.
Young people were more inclined to offer Team New Zealand an open cheque, whereas people over 60 were more heavily of the view the politicians had pitched the bid about right.
Auckland appears to be out of the running to host the next America's Cup. Photo / Viaduct Harbour Holdings
Team New Zealand officially rejected the $99m offer of cash and support nearly two weeks ago, opening the door for the Kiwi syndicate to take the next defence of the cup overseas.
However, Team NZ boss Grant Dalton said the rejection did not necessarily mean the Cup defence was heading offshore.
"The end of the exclusive negotiation period does not eliminate all possibility of the event or an event being hosted in New Zealand. If resources enable an event in New Zealand we will remain open to it."
The Irish Examiner has reported that Cork is lining up a bid for the event, while the Isle of Wight, China, Saudi Arabia, Valencia and Dubai have also been tipped as possible locations.
America's Cup Minister Stuart Nash and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the poll indicates the $99m offer was sufficient and they got the balance right.
Nash said the poll also reflected the anecdotal feedback he had received since the bid was rejected.
"The most common response I have heard is that it was a fair offer, especially in challenging times when everyone is looking for value for money in government spending," he said.
The minister said others expressed disappointment at the potential for the cup to be taken overseas in light of the public money spent on the cup.
The men at the centre of the funding wrangle. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff (left), withTeam NZ boss Grant Dalton and America's Cup Minister Stuart Nash. Photo / Michael Craig
"But yachting enthusiasts are realistic too, and recognise that it's a commercial venture that is international in scale.
"On balance, we know we put forward our best offer on behalf of New Zealand. We would still love to host it here, where we have purpose-built infrastructure, a harbour that offers a stunning backdrop to the racecourse, a high-tech marine industry, and enthusiastic public backing for the event," Nash said.
Goff said earlier the council's contribution to the $99m joint Government-Auckland Council bid to keep the next cup defence in Auckland was for services in kind, including the continued use of the Viaduct Events Centre on the waterfront.
He confirmed Team New Zealand was seeking twice what was offered by the Government and council.
The council spent $114m on building the bases and providing other infrastructure for the cup. The Government contributed $136m.
The poll of 1000 people was conducted between June 17 and June 23. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent.
