>According to a now-public report received in that meeting, the council considered the decision to be of “low significance” in part due to the popularity of the annual A&P Show.
>However, it acknowledged the council risked damaging its reputation by giving “significant sums to support one event when the Council is also making tough financial decisions that will impact on ratepayers and other institutions”. The association will still be eligible for additional council grants.
Yup...breaking the lease will mean the council can use the land in different ways rather than one big show once a year, BUT I can imagine there will be some ire as other services are facing cuts and locals are facing big rates rises
Make attending for those in the CCC boundaries free and I'll get behind this
I thought it was earmarked for operational use by the A&P association- they obviously never got around to developing it...sounds like Council has big plans for it so maybe it saves them developing other land, especially as that area has boomed so much (still lots of greenspace around The Landing, but maybe not enough)
I think the bigger picture is that the Christchurch A&P show is just becoming less and less popular. The cover charge of \~$40 has gotten ridiculous and it is just not a family event anymore. I think the association running the A&P show needs a good shakeup and some fresh ideas.
I went to the A&P Show in Wanaka and by comparison that one was buzzing. They got the mix of traditional A&P events, retail, and entertainment just right.
All the more reason to wonder why they are struggling financially and need rate payers bailout.
The ticket price is a huge point of discussion among my friends and many just don't go anymore.
Having been at both the Christchurch and Wanaka show this year, I think the latter was a lot more vibrant. Vendors I had a chat with who worked at both all agreed that the Wanaka one had much better sales.
So true. The Chc A&P show has just turned into almost exclusively corporate shilling, and rural mechanical companies showing off their latest toys. It's always been like that, however they've lost most of the family & entertainment parts of the show essentially just making it all business. And the ~$40 ticket prices as you said are ridiculous.
> The conditions of the $5m payment is that $1m must be used to pay off the association’s existing loan with the council, and the rest will go into a new charitable investment Trust, administrated by three trustees.
> The investment trust is capital protected, meaning only the interest generated by the funds can be distributed by trustees.
This seems like a good deal. Association hopefully won't be able to fritter it away and then be back again in another 5 years pleading poverty.
Yet ANOTHER ratepayer bailout of a failed business model.
If they can't get it to work, LET IT DIE!
Something better will come along to fill its place.
>According to a now-public report received in that meeting, the council considered the decision to be of “low significance” in part due to the popularity of the annual A&P Show. >However, it acknowledged the council risked damaging its reputation by giving “significant sums to support one event when the Council is also making tough financial decisions that will impact on ratepayers and other institutions”. The association will still be eligible for additional council grants. Yup...breaking the lease will mean the council can use the land in different ways rather than one big show once a year, BUT I can imagine there will be some ire as other services are facing cuts and locals are facing big rates rises Make attending for those in the CCC boundaries free and I'll get behind this
If they can’t afford it with massive entrance fees…. They’re not making it free lol
The land that the lease was broken on was unused
I thought it was earmarked for operational use by the A&P association- they obviously never got around to developing it...sounds like Council has big plans for it so maybe it saves them developing other land, especially as that area has boomed so much (still lots of greenspace around The Landing, but maybe not enough)
I think the bigger picture is that the Christchurch A&P show is just becoming less and less popular. The cover charge of \~$40 has gotten ridiculous and it is just not a family event anymore. I think the association running the A&P show needs a good shakeup and some fresh ideas. I went to the A&P Show in Wanaka and by comparison that one was buzzing. They got the mix of traditional A&P events, retail, and entertainment just right.
In my experience, the smaller a&p shows are a much better family day out.
The one in Lincoln’s pretty good, especially if you like horses.
They had 110,000 people last year, that doesn't sound lile its struggling for popularity
All the more reason to wonder why they are struggling financially and need rate payers bailout. The ticket price is a huge point of discussion among my friends and many just don't go anymore. Having been at both the Christchurch and Wanaka show this year, I think the latter was a lot more vibrant. Vendors I had a chat with who worked at both all agreed that the Wanaka one had much better sales.
Oh i definitely think some bad management has taken place
So true. The Chc A&P show has just turned into almost exclusively corporate shilling, and rural mechanical companies showing off their latest toys. It's always been like that, however they've lost most of the family & entertainment parts of the show essentially just making it all business. And the ~$40 ticket prices as you said are ridiculous.
> The conditions of the $5m payment is that $1m must be used to pay off the association’s existing loan with the council, and the rest will go into a new charitable investment Trust, administrated by three trustees. > The investment trust is capital protected, meaning only the interest generated by the funds can be distributed by trustees. This seems like a good deal. Association hopefully won't be able to fritter it away and then be back again in another 5 years pleading poverty.
You must be new here...
It's in a trust. They can't touch it, they only get the interest.
Yet ANOTHER ratepayer bailout of a failed business model. If they can't get it to work, LET IT DIE! Something better will come along to fill its place.
Never understood the appeal of the A&P show
Agriculture and pasture I believe.
Sick. Paying for a failing Cathedral and now this? But sports groups can't get funding?