08 May 2025
Official information request 8140015902
(Please quote this in any correspondence)
Hemant
By email:
[FYI request #30698 email] Tēnā koe Hemant
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
Re: Official Information: 8140015902, future of Western Springs Stadium
Thank you for your information request dated 12 April 2025 for information about the
Western Springs Stadium expressions of interest (EOI) process.
Your request was assessed by Auckland Council-controlled organisation Tātaki Auckland
Unlimited, which owns and operates the stadium and instigated the ‘open’ EOI process on
the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS). As per the GETS website, the service
“…is where most large government contracts are advertised. It's designed to promote open,
fair competition in the New Zealand government market...”.
The specific details of your request and the response are below.
“…I would like a copy of all correspondence to and from the Western Springs
Speedway inviting them to make a proposal on the future of Western Springs
Stadium. This request is based on the comment in this article:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/556741/western-springs-speedway-had-the-
opportunity-to-put-up-a-proposal...”.
Please note that the entity Palmerston North Speedway Ltd was the promoter of Western
Springs Speedway events; and that Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has only stated publicly that:
“…Palmerston North Speedway (the promoter of Western Springs Speedway) and
Ponsonby Rugby Club – the two organisations with current occupancy at Western Springs
Stadium – were informed in advance of the release of the EOI…”. A media statement
containing that paragraph is online at aucklandunlimited.com.
Also, for your awareness and full clarity: the Western Springs Speedway Association Inc. –
which was established in December 2024, about six months after the EOI process closed –
is completely unrelated to Palmerston North Speedway Ltd or its Western Springs
Speedway promotions.
In terms of responding to your request wording: no ‘invitation’ was made to speedway
promoters regarding the EOI. Therefore, no such information is held by Tātaki Auckland
Private Bag 92300, Auckland 1142 |
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |
Ph 09 301 0101
Unlimited. However, for transparency in relation to your LGOIMA request, it has provided an
email to a principal of Western Springs Speedway/Palmerston North Speedway on 10 June
2024. That email was written confirmation of verbal notification made to that principal on 7
June that the EOI was going to go live on GETS that day. The EOI opened at 3pm on 7 June
and closed on 19 July.
Some information has been withheld under LGOIMA section 7(2)(a) – where withholding the
information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons; and under section
7(2)(f)(ii) – where withholding the information is necessary to maintain the effective conduct
of public affairs through the protection of employees from improper pressure or harassment.
As noted above, the EOI process on GETS was an ‘open’ one – where any party with an
interest in options for the stadium could submit a proposal. A fan collective wanting to retain
speedway at Western Springs Stadium made a post about the EOI on its Facebook page the
day after it opened.
The decision by Auckland Council to release the information contained in this response was
made by
Justine White, Chief Operating Officer, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of this response by the Ombudsman.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you have any further queries, please contact me at
[ATEED request email] quoting official information request number
8140015902.
Ngā mihi
Jeff Benjamin
Customer Relationship Manager
Customer Experience and Digital Services
Private Bag 92300, Auckland 1142 |
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |
Ph 09 301 0101
