Council panics over costly Rugby World Cup parties

Newmarket Business Association

10 October 2007

Council panics over costly Rugby World Cup parties

An Auckland ratepayer-funded business group has accused the Auckland City Council and Mayor Dick Hubbard of panicking that no one will attend their Rugby World Cup parties after the council got ahead of itself.

"Like the America's Cup, the Auckland City Council has again jumped the gun, already spending a vast amount of ratepayers' cash on celebrating something we're not going to win," says Cameron Brewer, general manager of the Newmarket Business Association.

"Council didn't need to organise and promote these costly events so early. They should have waited until at least the quarter finals and if the All Blacks didn't qualify the council should have pulled the plug on the event."

Mr Brewer's comments follow today's media release by Mayor Dick Hubbard encouraging Aucklanders to adopt a new rugby team and join the Auckland City Council's free party at the Marine Events Centre where the final four games will be live on a big screen.

"Telling die-hard All Black fans to "take it on the chin" and dress up in their favourite adopted team's colours is completely tasteless. The Mayor and council have completely failed to reflect the public mood.

"They are worried sick that no one will turn up to their four ratepayer-funded parties and so now they're sending out desperate press releases promising spot prizes. It's reeks of panic.

"At the weekend the Mayor was publicly talking about a ticker-tape for the All Blacks. Given he'd copped some flak for jinxing the America's Cup by prematurely declaring it ours, many thought he would've learned but sadly not.

"More alarmingly however, is the fact that the Auckland City Council has fallen into the trap of not only organising but advertising big celebratory parties before the All Blacks had even qualified," said Mr Brewer.

ENDS

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