Council competing with private Conference Centre risky: Miccio

Mayoral Candidate Aldo Miccio is concerned about risking rateypayers’ money if Council goes into commercial competition with Rutherford Holdings’ planned Conference Centre.

Earlier in the week Cr Miccio had said that an understanding of Rutherford Holdings’ plans for a Conference Centre next to the Rutherford Hotel was important before a decision was made on a Council-owned conference facility, and he was surprised that the Council had not yet contacted the company to investigate its future plans.

“Today I have spoken to Rutherford Holdings’ management, who have confirmed plans to continue with the same scale of Conference Centre it put forward as part of the joint venture proposal with the Council-owned Performing Arts Centre,” Miccio says. “If that is the case, then I believe Nelson would be well served by this proposed Conference Centre, which would have breakout rooms, plenary areas, a substantial trade display area and would seat more than 400 diners.”

“Like others, I have said all along that having a Conference Centre in Nelson is a priority for the city,” he says. “From what I understand from Rutherford Holdings, the region will gain substantially from their facility, and so I do not think it is sensible for the Council to go into a commercial business that is in competition with a private Conference Centre in such a small market. I believe this would be a huge risk for ratepayers’ money.”

“The Hotel company’s plans now also put into question the need to spend in excess of $5 million to overhaul the Northern end of the Trafalgar Centre in order to build a Council-owned Conference Centre,” he says.

“One of the issues ratepayers have talked to me about over recent months is the ‘eye-sore’ of the unfinished Northern end of the Trafalgar Centre,” he says. “I propose we revisit our original plans to upgrade the kitchen facilities, entrance and façade so that the building is completed before the Rugby World Cup kicks off in September 2011 and becomes the stunning landmark it was always meant to be. I would also hope we can do this without spending all the $5 million allocated in the LTCCP.”

ENDS

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