Waitomo District Council (WDC) will invest $1.5 million this financial year in the North King Country Indoor Sports and Recreation Centre. 

At the Council’s August meeting the decision was made to approve the drawdown of the grant this financial year (2020/2021), subject to both parties signing a funding agreement.

Chris Ryan, chief executive says, “By Council investing in this project, along with other funders, the community will have a fit for purpose facility, that will benefit multiple generations throughout the District, which is pretty exciting.”

The Game On Community Trust (GoCT) confirmed at the meeting that the funding conditions outlined by WDC earlier in the year had been met, including securing all capital funds.  A total of $7.5 million of funding has been secured, eighty percent coming from outside the District. 

Earlier in the month GoCT made a request to Council for a change to the payment schedule, this is to ensure the projects build schedule remains on-track.  Originally WDC had agreed to split the grant over two financial years, with the final payment made by June 2020. 

“We had planned for the grant to be made earlier, in previous financial years. At the Trusts request these had been re-sequenced.  Our grant as a lump sum will help the Trust to stick to project timeframes which is in the best interests of everyone,” says Ryan.

The request was discussed in the publicly excluded part of the Council meeting.  Elected members resolved to make both the resolution and business paper public. The business paper is available on WDC’s website (PDF 735 KB).

WDC are now working on a grant agreement which will be presented to GoCT this month to review.  Construction of the stadium is expected to start in the New Year.

-ENDS-

History of the GoCT grant from Council:

• In 2017 WDC consulted with the community during development of the Long Term Plan 2018-2028 to gauge the community’s support, or not, of the proposed North King Country Indoor Sports and Recreation Centre.
• Of the 94 submissions received, 67% were in support to provide a maximum capital funding grant to GoCT of $1.5 million.
• In 2018 Council adopted to make a capital funding grant. This decision was reflected in the Long Term Plan 2018-2028 - $1 million to be granted in the 2018/19 financial year and $500,000 in the 2019/20 financial year.
• Following a request from the GoCT, this was subsequently resequenced to the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years, and further re-sequenced to the 2020/21 and 2021/22 years respectively.
• In February 2020 WDC resolved to enter into a grant agreement with GoCT with conditions placed on funding including; the project being operationally sustainable, guaranteed community access, all capital funds are secured, and ensuring the facility is equipped and functional.