Newspaper Article 1999 – The Millennium Muddle

It comes as no surprise to anybody in Hawke’s Bay that parochial petty squabbling has cost the region the chance to cash in on a once-in-a-thousand year opportunity that would have showcased Hawke’s Bay to the world. The squabbles which caused the initial stuff-ups are indicative of the juvenile rivalling relationship between Napier and Hastings. Herald-Tribune millennium reporter JULIA LANG, right, investigates the hype, fury and frustration behind millennium activities.

THE Millennium Muddle

WITH only 265 days to go until January1, 2000, it seems more has gone wrong than right in Hawke’s Bay – the first urban area in the world to see in the dawn of the third millennium.

Who ever you talk to in millennium circles, one thing sticks out like a sore thumb, “We need more funding.” “This is our chance. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” “We have to make the most of this event.”

But in reality, come on Hawke’s Bay, our millennium committees should be way past these comments and well on their way in preparation for the December 31, 1999, countdown.

So who cops the blame for the dithering and lack of direction – may be everyone involved in millennium circles deserves a piece of that pie be it big or small.

However, let it be said the some people have worked tirelessly to try and make things happen, and it if [if it] wasn’t for egotistical quarrelling between Napier and Hastings in the first place, Hawke’s Bay could have been prepared, if not better prepared, for celebrations than Gisborne.

The real breakdown of communication began back in 1996 when the Hawke’s Bay Millennium Board Committee was formed.

What was to be Hawke’s Bay’s regionally-focused committee soon fell apart. Ideas were put to paper and some initiated to promote Hawke’s Bay as the first city to see the sun. But Hastings District councillor Megan Williams, the woman who initially got the millennium ball rolling, said some members wanted separate Napier and Hastings groups.

Former Napier City councillor, Ashley Church, was the chairman of the now defunct committee.

Mr Church said it split because of “personality clashes” between himself and Cr Williams.

However, Cr Williams believes “internal politics in Napier” had something to do with it. She said there were no personality clashes she was aware of and was amazed to read of Cr Church’s remarks in the press.

In fact, she said there were nothing but constructive meetings between herself, the committee and Mr Church.

She feels communication broke down because some Napier committee members didn’t want to commit themselves to projects that were already put into place.

“Regionally, we didn’t get it off the ground,” Cr Williams said.

“I personally don’t believe Napier was as passionate about having a regional committee as we were and so a lot of time was wasted.”

So separate Hastings and Napier millennium committees were formed. The Hastings co-ordinator, Megan Walmsley, was appointed to her position in August last year, and Napier’s co-ordinator, Peter Mooney, in November. Kahungunu 2000, a Hawke’s Bay Maori millennium committee also formed. It already has one event planned – a Maori expo at the Hawke’s Bay A and P show in October this year.

But last month, just as it seemed everything was under control with events and marketing initiatives under way, logos and a rough calendar of events diary in the foreground, Hawke’s Bay people witnessed millennium breaking point.

Hastings 2000 basically screamed to a halt because it had run out of money. It had initially received $95,000 to help in advertising, infrastructure and seed funding for events but Miss Walmsley said without an extra $237,969 from the Hastings District Council, it could not continue.

The proposal was forwarded to the council’s draft annual plan a fortnight later, and at the eleventh hour Hastings 2000 reduced its request to $179,970. It was granted.

Cr Williams was frustrated the region’s millennium success or failure was still reliant on funding. In 1996, she asked the Hastings council to set aside $50,000 each year to avoid a last-minute bulk funding request, which inevitably had happened.

While Hastings 2000 was having its heart attack, the Napier Millennium Committee (a sub-committee of the Napier City Council) was in the headlines after two key people on its committee, promoter Colin James and retailer Graham Bell, quit – said to be frustrated by its events decision making.

The problems overshadowing both committees caused enough concern for Hastings mayor Jeremy Dwyer, and Napier mayor Alan Dick to call a meeting between themselves, millennium and tourism groups.

The closed-door meeting was to implement more focused co-ordination between Napier and Hastings to ensure the region’s celebrations wouldn’t be a flop.

Its verdict was that having two separate millennium committees had resulted in poor quality information about expected visitor numbers, accommodation availability etcetera. It was clear the two cities needed to work together to prevent Hawke’s Bay from failing badly. The mayors scheduled a follow-up meeting to oversee progress.

Since then, Hastings 2000 has been quietly working away to ensure its three planned events, although still not publicised, a full calendar of events, and other marketing initiatives are brought to fruition.

Director Miss Walmsley said it was difficult putting pressure on the Hastings council for more funding in order for the millennium committee to stay afloat but Hawke’s Bay would never have another opportunity like this served on a “silver platter” again.

Asked if having one regional millennium committee would have been an advantage both with promoting Hawke’s Bay, and splitting funding between councils, Miss Walmsley simply said “yes”.

“I personally would have loved to have seen it being Hawke’s Bay 2000.” she said.

“However, that being said, I wasn’t there for any of that and my focus is to promote Hastings as much as I can.

“We have pretty good indications of where the allocation of that money (the extra $179,970 from council) will go and when it is all finalised, we will go public,” she said.

Last month Mr Mooney and chairwoman Ros Stewart said the committee had not been “rocked” by the resignation of Messrs James and Bell.

Mr James had wanted to host a Boney M concert in Hawke’s Bay on January 1, 2000, but the committee canned the idea.

“The Napier City Council are not prepared to take risks and it was decided all of our projects would be community based,” Ms Stewart said.

“We had decided four months prior to Mr James quitting that the Boney M concert was not a goer,” she said.

Asked if working as a council sub-committee had been difficult, Ms Stewart said it had been a “learning curve”. The only frustration was it took longer to make things final because it had to go before the council. However, the committee felt it had a lot of back-up support as being part of the council.

It had received funding from the city council, Napier RSA, and hoped to collect about $300,000 from the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board.

Mr Mooney said Messrs James and Bell had offered to help the millennium committee on a casual basis after they had quit. There was no bitterness between themselves or any of the committee over their resignation.

However, just before Easter, the Napier committee was dealt another blow when Mr James pulled the plug on a 12-month calendar of events which he said was his “intellectual property”.

Mr James told the Napier City Council’s policy committee he had personally drawn up the millennium events programme which would have included a theme for each month, such as “Music, Music, Music”, “Getting To Know You”, and “The Way We Were”. He was withdrawing the whole programme for the year 2000 to use it to his own advantage.

Mr James’s decision has left the Napier millennium committee with no programme for next year.

In parting, Mr James took another swipe at the committee, saying it was made of “nice people but I don’t think they’re capable of doing the job”.

Mr Mooney said this week the millennium committee was a close-knit group and was working together well.

He did not think it right to comment about Mr James’s withdrawal of the events because the council was seeking legal advice.

“We are going to continue regardless of what has happened and make sure we have good millennium celebrations,” Mr Mooney said.

“We will provide a memorable New Year’s for people and events during 2000, that is our brief and that is what we intend to do,” he said.

So while things seem rosy in other regions such as Gisborne, when it comes to millennium celebrations, it has been a rough ride in Hawke’s Bay. While funding problems seem to have been dealt with, other problems have surfaced.

If the problems aren’t squabbles between committee members, then it’s frustration by the public still not knowing exactly what events are at least planned for New Year celebrations.

Region

Another spanner in Y2K works

by Chris Mole.

Napier’s millennium committee has been dealt another blow, with former member Colin James on Wednesday pulling the plug on a 12-month calendar of events which he said was his “intellectual property”.

Mr James told the Napier City Council’s policy committee he had personally drawn up the millennium events programme.

“It’s my intellectual property and I’m withdrawing the whole programme for the year 2000,” he said.

“I intend to use it for my own advantage.”

Mr James recently announced his intention to quit the millennium committee along with retailer Graham Bell, due to a disagreement about the direction it was taking.

He officially tabled a letter of resignation to the council on Wednesday.

His decision to withdraw the millennium events calendar could leave the committee without a programme for next year.

However, Napier Mayor Alan Dick understood the programme had been offered to the council unconditionally and he was unsure whether Mr James could withdraw it.

“I don’t know yet what the legal implications are,” Mr Dick said.

The council adopted Mr James’ calendar of events last November and details are recorded in council minutes.

But the millennium committee rejected one of Mr James’ key ideas – for a New Year dawn concert by international pop group Boney M at McLean Park.

That was his and Mr Bell’s key reason for resigning.

He believed Boney M would have attracted up to 25,000 people to McLean Park at $25 a head – raising $600,000, which would have funded the entire year’s programme of events.

On Wednesday, he took a parting swipe at the millennium committee, saying it was made up of “nice people but I don’t think they’re capable of doing the job”.

He had offered the millennium events programme to the committee as a “complete package”.

The committee had broken the deal by ditching the Boney M concert.

“I never gave (the events programme) to the council unconditionally.” he said.

He now intended to give his ideas to other parties involved in millennium celebrations both in Napier and further afield.

The millennium programme includes events for each month of the year 2000, with each month having a special theme.

The millennium committee estimates the full programme will cost about $500,000.

Photo captions –

Mr Church . . . it split because of personality “clashes” between himself and Cr Williams.

Cr Williams . . . there were no personality clashes she was aware of and was amazed to read of Cr Church’s remarks in the press.