Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Viv Beck: Heart of the City CEO on New Zealand dropping its bid to host the America's Cup

Transcript

Viv Beck: Heart of the City CEO on New Zealand dropping its bid to host the America's Cup · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, we're not getting the America's Cup orkand Unlimited
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: yesterday announced it's not going any further because the government
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: won't put any money in seventy five million. They say,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: how did the city CEO of Beck joins me? Now? Hi,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: VICV Hello. A lot of people, a lot of people
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: upset about the same golden opportunity wasted. Do you believe that?
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, yes, that's exactly what we said. To be honest,
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: it is a not golden opportunity list, but.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: It's seventy five million dollars and we are poor right now?
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: What do you say to that?
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: But remember when we spoke a few weeks ago, I
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: talked about how much effort has gone into raising the
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: importance of major event and alternative forms of funding. So
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: I think the biggest disappointment is that there has been
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: from us and many others of significant effort gone into
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: saying that we do need to find alternative ways. Suggestions
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: were made, and this opportunity. The reason it's so disappointing
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: is it's right for the picking. I mean, we've got
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: the infrastructure, the economic benefits would be there, and if
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: they had been quicker action on finding alternative funding, I mean,
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: we understand that there are other priorities of government, but
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: growth is also a big opportunity, a big priority, and
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: you know the reality is that the GST alone could
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: pay for that money. So I think with some imagination
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: and will and determination it would have been it could
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: have been a different result.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: And it's not just an auckland and a sailing, you
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: know topic. Steve ARMATAGM Hospitality in New Zealand says we
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: need a nationwide strategy to attract events instead of our
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: piecemeal region by regional approach or event by event approach.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: Do you agree absolutely? I mean, I think the look,
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: we've got a lot of great work going on in
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: that space, and there's a lot of expertise. So I
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: don't want to knock the work that is done for
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: the limited funding. But we know we don't compete internationally
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: now often we don't. We're a small country. We get that.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: But I think we do have to have the energy
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: and drive and will to try and find ways to
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: actually grow this because you know we do. Events are
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: a great way of attracting people here. It's not just
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: a one time wonder that people come and have a
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: great time. I mean the benefits from CRADE and jobs,
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: international profile. You look at Barcelona, I mean, imagine if
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: we had that in twenty twenty seven, something along those lines,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: at a part where we really do need to have
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: something that actually excites people, that we actually are growing
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: and not just full of problems.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: VeVe Beck and I thank you so much for getting
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: up earlier.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: to news talks that be from five am weekdays, or
• 2:38
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