KEY POINTS:
Following its inception in 1994, the Ellerslie Flower Show developed into a major date on the Auckland region's calendar. There were several hiccups, a shift of venue to the Botanic Gardens in Manurewa, and the Rotary Club's decision to sell out, but still the event prospered.
Other cities gazed in envy at what became the Southern Hemisphere's biggest outdoor gardening event, attracting people from around the country and overseas. Thus, when the opportunity to claim the event arose, the Christchurch City Council jumped. It is thought to have paid between $1 million and $2 million to buy the show outright, far more than it has been willing to contribute to other of the city's festivals and signature events.
Time will tell whether this was money well spent. One thing is certain, however. Auckland City was right to refuse to bow to the demands of the show's owners. Keeping the event in Manurewa would have necessitated the city council contributing $50,000 over each of the next three years to a rescue package. This money, to be used for marketing and ancillary events, would have supplemented $90,000 paid annually by the Manukau City Council, and the Auckland Regional Council's largesse in providing the Botanic Gardens as a venue.
The most telling commentary on the Auckland City Council's rejection of this notion came from finance committee chairman Doug Armstrong, who said: "We didn't think the show was in jeopardy." It would, he said, have been properly funded "no matter what". Auckland City, in other words, was dragged into a bidding war with Christchurch and Hamilton, another long-time admirer of the show. In the end, it held the line, leaving Christchurch to take the bait.
That city may now, as it is keen to proclaim, hold the Ellerslie brand. It may also glory under the title of the Garden City. But Christchurch will never be as logical a site for a flower show as Auckland. Most of the gardening and landscaping exhibitors at Manurewa hailed from this area, as did over half the attendees.
Auckland could also comfortably accommodate the 70,000 or so visitors who flocked to each show, as well as provide convenient travel links. For Christchurch, this will be more of a struggle.
This logic provides substance to Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee's promise of a "better" replacement for Ellerslie. He says the regional council will work with the Auckland and Manukau City councils to organise a new show, hopefully next year at the Botanic Gardens.
There has been no mention of financial contributions from the councils. Nor should there be. The regional council can do the organisers of the new show a huge favour by continuing to waive rental charges for the Botanic Gardens. But none of the councils should feel compelled to stray into an area that is not a core function. They should, as Mr Armstrong noted, "be frugal with ratepayers' money".
Christchurch will doubtless embrace the Ellerslie Flower Show, and bring new perspectives to it. Equally, however, a replacement in Auckland should soon blossom. Such is the commercial potential that local councils need provide only encouragement and enthusiasm.
The last Ellerslie Flower Show in Manurewa was criticised for having too few gardens and too many stalls peripheral to gardening. Some critics claimed the 'flower' in the title had become as misleading as the continued naming of Ellerslie as its location. This is an opportunity for a new event with fresh ideas and fresh energy.
