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Bit Of A Yarn

Heads should roll! - New Plymouth Abandoned again


Huey

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According to the 2021 Annual report Taranaki has $5m in property plant and equipment assets.  I assume part of this property is stables and stands.  But what value are they when they are on land leased from the New Plymouth District Council?

The Council want to build a sports hub and close the track.

However there is a Act of Parliament that gives the Racecourse some legal standing.  Hence the current bun fight.

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Taranaki_fs_(1).pdf New Plymouth Recreation and Racecourse Reserve Act 1999.pdf

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18 minutes ago, curious said:

So, they should be able to sell back their lease and race elsewhere.

I thought it was up for renewal?  Even so I can't see how the lease would be worth anything let alone the amount necessary to purchase land to build a track somewhere else.  They are only able to hang in there because of the New Plymouth Recreation and Reserve Act.  They aren't the only Track in that situation in NZ.

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Guest Whyisit

I thought the bun fight is over the name change of the club therefore in some eyes nullifies the agreement with the club.

Edited by Whyisit
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Guest Whyisit
7 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Still the same entity racing on the New Plymouth Recreation and Racing Reserve.  Just a name change.

I think it will go to the courts to sort it out.

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2 minutes ago, Whyisit said:

I think it will go to the courts to sort it out.

Either side won't lose or win just because of a name change.  The legal argument will focus on the applicable Act that I posted above.  The only solution is a commercial mediation where the Council pays money or does a land swap to move the Racing Club on.  There was some talk of that a couple of years back.  Neither side has a particularly strong hand to play in the negotiation.

Of course the left field option is NZTR testing the new Racing Act regarding the sale of assets but I'm not sure that that applies in this instance.

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https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/127839135/new-plymouth-raceway-stopped-from-holding-races

New Plymouth Raceway stopped from holding races

Glenn McLean18:00, Feb 21 2022
 
New Plymouth Raceway could be without racing for an extended period of time.
SIMON O'CONNOR/STUFF
New Plymouth Raceway could be without racing for an extended period of time.

New Plymouth Raceway could be without any racing for an extended period of time after the sport’s governing body ruled there would be no more meetings until the track was considered safe.

Taranaki racing officials are due to meet on Monday night to talk about the future of the track after another meeting was abandoned due to safety concerns.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) have told Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing that it would not schedule meetings at the New Plymouth Raceway until it was satisfied the track was safe and reliable.

The governing body’s decision followed Friday’s race meeting abandonment, the third of four previously scheduled meetings at the course that has been scratched, including the club’s premier Taranaki Cup meeting earlier this month.

 

READ MORE:
* New plan removes one hurdle to New Plymouth's proposed $91 million multi-sport hub
* Coronavirus: Spectators shut out of New Plymouth midweek race meeting
* Solution sought to name change lease termination glitch at New Plymouth's Pukekura Raceway

That meeting was called off after the first race when a horse slipped. Friday’s meeting did not even get to that stage with riders spooked about the 2mm of rain which had fallen on the track in the morning.

“This concern was related to what riders perceived as the firmness of the surface with moisture sitting on top and comparisons were made with the Saturday, February 5 (Taranaki Cup) abandonment,” NZTR said in a release.

“A subsequent meeting with riders saw them indicating that they had no confidence in conditions being safe in light of the morning’s rain. Considering these concerns there was no other option but to abandon the day’s racing.”

The abandonment of the recent meetings follows limited or no crowds being able to attend numerous race days at the New Plymouth Raceway in the last two years because of Covid-19 restrictions.

There has also been a public spat between the Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing Club and the New Plymouth District Council about the long-term lease of the New Plymouth Raceway, and legal threats made by the club over a proposed $91 million multi-sport hub which is earmarked to be built at the racecourse.

Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Carey Hobbs.
GRANT MATTHEW/STUFF
Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Carey Hobbs.

Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Carey Hobbs felt that the club was a victim of circumstance with heavy rain falling following an extended dry spell, while he was also concerned that protocols around abandoning meetings did not take place.

The club had previously said it had followed all NZTR guidelines on moisture levels, designed to ensure the track was safe if any rain fell prior to the start of the meeting.

Hobbs was reluctant to say anything further until the club’s executive met and decided a course of reply to NZTR.

However, there was a “likelihood” that future meetings scheduled for New Plymouth could be transferred to Hāwera, Hobbs said.

A turf specialist, under the guidance of NZTR track advisor Todd Treweek, inspected the New Plymouth course on Monday and will provide a report to racing officials.

“Once that is reviewed and implemented thought will be given as to how a return to racing at New Plymouth will be managed,” NZTR said.

The next scheduled New Plymouth meeting on NZTR’s calendar was on Friday, March 25.

We're in this together,

 

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Ascot Park always seemed to have issues, these days it actually looks a good surface,they race about 8 times a season unlike Riccarton as one example where they beat the shit out of it late winter/spring, that's where one needs to share the load by racing at other venues, if New Plymouth was to be the only track in Taranaki then regardless of how much you spend on the track it's always going to come under pressure if the weather is crap, you simply cant put all your eggs in one basket, as in venues, N Zs climate is pretty fickle.

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