V8 company says NZ's future chances at risk

By STUART DYE

New Zealand's long-term chances of hosting any form of V8 Supercar Championship race are in jeopardy, the company behind the event says.

Part of the V8 series has been held at Pukekohe since 2000 but the race has outgrown the venue and the streets of Auckland City are now the target for organisers.

But the tangle of planning regulations for the controversial proposal is testing the patience of the Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company.

Avesco has agreed to a 90-day extension so race promoter IMG, Transit New Zealand and the Auckland and North Shore city councils can try to solve traffic issues threatening to prevent the race occurring.

"If a solution is not found it could well be the end for New Zealand," said Avesco chairman Tony Cochrane.

The original deadline was December 31, but after a raft of demands from planning commissioners, the company agreed to wait until early March.

"Because we have agreed to this extension, it makes it difficult for any other bid to prepare in time for 2006," said Mr Cochrane.

"We have major cities around the world such as Singapore, Dubai and Cape Town crying out for us to come there and here's Auckland, who have been gifted the race, almost saying, 'Thanks but we can't get it together'."

IMG and Auckland City Council are behind the plans to hold the V8 car race from 2006. The three-day event would be contracted to run for seven years, but the plans have polarised the city and become a key election issue in the mayoral race.

Supporters say it would be a showpiece event and point to large economic benefits. Mayor John Banks is a strong backer.

But opponents argue it would bring unprecedented traffic chaos to an infrastructure ill-prepared, and they have questioned the economic figures. Mayoral challenger Dick Hubbard has voiced doubts.

Mr Cochrane said he had been led to believe the resource management process would be straightforward.

"And why shouldn't it be? I don't see Monaco, Vancouver, Montreal, Gold Coast or Long Beach having too many problems with traffic management when they host such events through the hearts of their cities.

"How a city like Auckland cannot prepare itself for a three-day event such as this is ludicrous. Of course there are going to be traffic issues but only for one weekend of the year."

Mr Cochrane said the loss would be New Zealand's.

One opponent said Avesco would have only itself to blame if races could not be held in New Zealand.

Geoff Green, co-ordinator of the Westhaven-Viaduct Tenants and Ratepayers Association, said the company had stacked the odds against itself by choosing the route.

"If they had considered elsewhere it would have been easier to get resource consent."