KEY POINTS:
Tough-talking Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says his city is in with a "solid chance" of snatching the Ellerslie International Flower Show from Auckland.
And he raised the stakes by insisting the city would focus on making the flower show - the largest in the Southern Hemisphere - an iconic event for Christchurch rather than just one of several events.
Christchurch would be hosting more than 100,000 people for the New Zealand Cup and Show Week next week, so could comfortably handle the scale of the Ellerslie show, which generates about $14 million for Auckland's economy.
"Whatever happens, we are on track to develop our own garden show anyway," Mr Parker said.
The licence with the Auckland Regional Council - which owns the Botanic Gardens in Manukau where the show is held - is up for renewal next month and organisers have called for expressions of interest.
The Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce said having an event like the Ellerslie International Flower Show in the Garden City would be a "lovely fit".
"The only thing Christchurch has not got going for it is the base population," said chief executive Peter Townsend.
"But there's a sense of community in this city that's quite extraordinary, and if we want to make something work, it works here."
Flower show managing director David Mee said the Ellerslie Flower Show Charitable Trust and the New Zealand Flower and Garden Show, with sponsors and members of the horticulture industry, would decide on the venue by the end of the month.
"We realise the show is bigger than just us ... we don't want to rashly make a decision based purely on the commercial viability or not."
He said the Auckland region didn't want to lose the show. "We always had the view that after the first period of the lease agreement it would be an appropriate time to step back and review every aspect of the show."
ARC general manager of parks Lance Vervoort said yesterday that the council had put in a "very attractive" proposal with some new benefits in an attempt to keep the show in Auckland.
He gave no details, but said the new benefits centred on the licence deal.
"We've got a wonderful venue, purpose-built infrastructure there for the show, it's close to transport links and Auckland has a large population that enjoys gardening."
Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said he and some of his council staff had been in discussions with show organisers for about five months.
Rival venues
Christchurch
Would make the Ellerslie Flower Show a special event in the city rather than just one of many.
Christchurch would be hosting more than 100,000 people for the New Zealand Cup and Show Week next week, so could comfortably handle the scale of the Ellerslie show.
Hamilton
Would put the show at the Claudelands Events Centre.
The open air park is near the city centre and is due for a $62 million facelift, to finish by 2010. Hamilton was in the middle of a "golden triangle" of population, between Auckland and Tauranga but also handy to Rotorua, Taupo, and New Plymouth.
Auckland
Auckland Regional Council is keeping tight-lipped but says the new benefits would centre on the licence agreement. It says the city offers a "wonderful venue, purpose-built infrastructure there for the show, it's close to transport links and ... has a large population that enjoys gardening".
