Lake Taupo iwi wants $56k ironman race fee

[Opo 182]

The iwi that owns Lake Taupo is looking to charge Ironman New Zealand competitors about $56,000 for use of the lake during the swim leg of the endurance triathlon.......

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8301152/Lake-Taupo-iwi-wants-56k-ironman-race-fee

[Turny 1,224]

The article is interesting Alan, and it seems the Iwi has strong external support - just a question of amount I suspect but I fail to see why they should discount it to $56K. However they clearly feel a large social responsibility for the event. That is to be applauded

Kia Kaha Bro

Turny

[Uriah Heap 481]

I knew Opo wouldn't let this one go through to the keeper.

 

From what the Lawyer quoted says the Iwi own the lake, lock stock and barrel and have every right to charge what they want. I for one did not realise this and merely assumed that Lake Taupo was public property.

 

The Iwi need to tread with care and lets hope they know what they are doing., Because they could end up with no one bothering to use their Lake for such events. That could begin to undermine the local economy, thus meaning less jobs for young Tuwharetoa.

[Turny 1,224]

Uriah, I think if you go back nearly 100 years the lake was gifted as was 50% of the trout fishing licenses. It was a most unsual gifting to that particular Iwi, though I agree with you they need to tread very carefully. I understand there is middle ground everyone is happy with

[Opo 182]

By: Barry Soper | Friday, 15 February 2013 6:00 a.m.

 

Gone are the days that you can truck up to a lake and hold an event without incurring some sort of cost it seems.

 

Lake Taupo's bed is owned by the local iwi Ngati Tuwharetoa and if you want to stage an event there then it'll cost you. The Taupo Ironman competition is being asked to pay $56,000, or around $40 for each entrant in the swim section of the event.

 

Currently the local iwi dips into the taxpayer pocket and withdraws 1.5 million notes a year, if they agree to us using the water that no one owns, but which sits in their rather large basin. Anyone who uses the lake commercially though has to cough up, and when you get a fishing licence to throw a line overboard, then there's a payment to Ngati Tuwharetoa for that as well - even though the fish are swimming in water, they don't own.

 

The Ironman payment's stirred up such a hornet's nest that the district mayor there says he's run through three cell phone batteries over the past 24 hours from people bending his throbbing ear.

 

Ngati Tuwharetoa says if a commercial event's being held on the lake then they have to pay, even though it could be argued that they'll benefit like everyone else anyway, through other avenues with more punters flooding into town.

 

The argument's been raging in the corridors of sour with the snippy minister in charge of settling treaty grievances, Chris Finlayson, saying it's up to the local iwi to charge if they want to. In the next breath he shifted the blame somewhat, sniffing that the settlement with the local iwi was reached with the Labour Government.

 

And in the spirit of St Valentine, the festering Tau Henare says if event organisers are turning a profit then they should share the love.

 

But the Maori in Pakeha clothing Luigi Peters was having none of it, saying Tuwharetoa could be cutting off their economic noses to spite their iwi faces because they run the risk of losing the Ironman competition.

 

So put that in your Tame Iti peace pipe and smoke it. Although he won't be able to smoke it of course until he gets out of jail in a few weeks' time!

 

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/opinion/political-report-15feb2013

[Opo 182]

I have been informed theTaupo Ironman is almost entirely run by 2000 volunteers.

 

It involves tremendous preparation and organisation,over many months.  Every service is given good natured and freely!!!!

 

The good folk of Taupo are all behind it to make it a tremendous success.

 

Naturally the organisers need to make a profit,to keep it going the following year.

 

The Taupo Ironman also supports cysticfibrosis?

 

[Opo 182]

NZHerald letter 16/2/13