April 14th
Just a quick update to keep everyone up with the latest news. Here is the latest summary from our Chairman, Stuart Hayman.
You will note that we haven't made mucj progress after preparing design, costs and resource consent investigations for the proposed Ardmore Range.
Recently we had a Sport NZ subsidised report done by external consultants to summarise the position for the Minister. Most of this we knew, but it was useful to have this all in one place and to have the issues reviewed by an outside party.
In brief, here is the position and our proposed action going forward.
We cannot apply for Resource Consent without agreed access over the Council land on which the motorcycle club operates;
We cannot obtain access from:
- the motorcycle club because their continued operation depends on an Environment Court decision (now 18 months since the hearing);
- the Council because it is unclear which of at least two Council agencies took over the land from the Papakura District Council; and
- the Council cannot make a decision on ownership or control of the land or access until the Environment Court decision.
So we have a deadlock.
Our way forward, therefore is:
- Until the end of this year (8 months) or the Environment Court decision being published, whichever comes sooner, we will continue to seek funding from external funders and continue to liaise with Sport NZ;
- If no favourable outcome results by then, we will look in depth at two other site proposals - we are aware of two smaller locations which could take a club based 10.25.50m range, one of which could conceivably take an international ISSF range complex.
