The future of the Auckland show grounds is in the air again, with the company taking over its industry terminating its contract on 30 June.
NZ Exhibition and Events Company (NZEEC) was appointed as the showground’s (formerly known as ASB Showgrounds) new operator under a one-year license in the middle of last year.
In a letter to clients, NZEEC director Mark Frankham said he was not informed of the future plans of the Auckland show grounds and had no further information to share about the status of the venue after 30 June.
Frankham declined to comment further when contacted.
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The future of the site now depends on a Supreme Court ruling, where a local exhibition operator is trying to stop the new owners from leasing the showground to an Auckland film studio.
JASON DORDAY / Stuff
There were rumors that the showground would be sold to a production studio.
NZEEC’s agreement was signed with Cornwall Park Trust, which acquired ownership of the showground after the Auckland Agricultural Pastoral and Industrial Shows Board (which traded as ASB Showgrounds) went into liquidation in June.
The Supreme Court challenge was brought by XPO Exhibitions’ managing director, Brent Spillane, who argued that a 40-year statute, the Cornwall Park Endowment & Recreation Act provided that the show grounds should be protected for use in the presentation of exhibitions and opportunities.
Spillane said no date had been set for a decision, but the judge was aware of the June 30 termination for NZEEC’s operation.
He said Auckland Showgrounds received a large amount of taxpayer funding, and there were no other centers that could provide the same facilities, including load-bearing floors that were essential to some trade shows, air-conditioning systems and major access roads.
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XPO managing director Brent Spillane wants Cornwall Park Trust to reconsider a trend of Coast Group and retain the current function of Auckland Showgrounds.
He said even when the New Zealand International Conference Center is completed in 2027, it will still provide only about half of the area that Auckland Showgrounds has.
Spillane said Aucklanders would mourn the loss of popular shows such as the Easter Show and Food Show, there were also a variety of trade shows that would be lost, but the facility was also used for many industry-specific shows, such as the Emex Trade Show for Engineering and Manufacturing Technology. .
It is understood that Cornwall Park Trust intends to lease the facility to Auckland firm Xytech Studio Management, which manages X3 Studios.
Auckland Council confirmed Xytech had applied in April for a certificate of compliance and resource consent to use the showground for events and filming activities.
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Guests attend The Food Show at Auckland Showgrounds
Cornwall Park Trust spokesman John Redwood said he could only talk about the future of the showground after the Supreme Court made its decision.
He said NZEEC’s license to occupy was an interim measure to give exhibitors security, and to give the trust time to consider the next step.
“The trust board has hired BDO to carry out a process to find a new tenant for the premises,” he said.
“They went through that process, which resulted in them signing an agreement to lease to Xytech.”
He said Xytech plans to use it for a mix of filming, events, exhibitions and conferences.
The liquidation of Auckland Agricultural Pastoral and Industrial Shows Board was caused by the impact of Covid-19, along with increasing rents charged by its landlord, the Cornwall Park Trust Board.
A liquidators’ report found that the board owed 4.6 million to creditors at the time of liquidation.