It seems that the venue for the 2023 Hutchwilco New Zealand boat show is looking a lot more positive
It seems that the venue for the 2023 Hutchwilco New Zealand boat show is looking a lot more positive that it will once again be at the Auckland Showgrounds after a confident ruling from the High Court.
Thanks to the efforts of Brent Spillane, Managing Director of XPO Exhibitions, his court injunction against the Cornwall Part Trust, from handing the entire showgrounds to the filming industry and thereby leaving no exhibition centre in Auckland has been successful.
The High Court Judgment of Spillane vs Cornwall Park Trust Board is a moral victory for the events industry and many thousands of business exhibitors whose livelihoods have been at stake from the recent closure of the Auckland Showgrounds. The Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show is certainly one of those.
It will also be a win for the more than one million annual visitors who care deeply that the exhibitions they frequent will surely soon be back up and running at the historic Auckland Showgrounds.
Brent Spillane plaintiff of the case explains “We have maintained there are strong protections on this land for exhibitions and events to have priority over other activities and that events (new and old) cannot be displaced – and that point has been clearly upheld by Justice Peters.”
A final ruling and orders confirmed the Agreement to Lease signed by Cornwall Park Trust (CPT) and Xytech Studio Management was beyond CPT’s lawful powers, along with other clarifications Spillane has been seeking.
Spillane’s, XPO Exhibitions the largest hirer of the Auckland Showgrounds, points further that if CPT were to move on new permutations of agreement with Xytech that purport to comply with the Judge’s ruling – then they would be doing so under a very watchful eye of the High Court and a million visitors who enjoy recreation and events on this land each year.
He suggests that the Attorney General may well show a keen interest too with the fresh High Court Judgment in hand and clear powers to commence or join in proceedings concerning the affairs of charitable trusts.
The Judgment confirms much of what the Auckland Unitary Plan Precinct states in that events are primary on the Showgrounds and filming is classified as a lower secondary activity. “This asserts a continuation of what has been occurring for years at the Showgrounds, with Events having a clear priority and Filming fitting in occasionally in between our historically scheduled events.”
“We’ve maintained that Events as a primary activity cannot be displaced by filming, and this goes a long way to confirming the same supported by the Cornwall Park Recreation and Endowment Act 1982.”
“We say to CPT that with this final ruling on its way and moving clearly in favour of events, it’s time to get on with the business of finalising a compliant events-backed Coast Group lease (or any alternate non-film studio lease bid) and running these iconic shows at this exhibitions venue through such a compliant lessee – not a film studio working with substantial overseas film and television productions. It would in my opinion be a ruse and a mockery to the Justice system to suggest otherwise.”
With a favourable High Court ruling under their belt, both Spillane and the industry remain confident that sense will prevail and a lease to a compliant events-focussed lessee will eventually unfold.
“With the greatest respect to Cornwall Park Trust and its esteemed Board and to the legacy of Sir John Logan-Campbell, it’s time to re-open the Showgrounds gates and let our communities reconnect with live events. Let the shows go on!”
