Southland Outdoor Stadium Trust struggling for funds

The Invercargill City Council has become the latest organisation to refuse to provide funding for the maintenance of Invercargill's Rugby Park, the home of the Southland Stags.

The council recently decided not to take over ownership of the park or provide financial assistance to its owners, the Southland Outdoor Stadium Trust.

Although Mayor Tim Shadbolt did highlight that Rugby Park was an important community facility, adding that the Council would work with interested parties to find a solution to the cost of maintaining and operating Rugby Park stadium.

The Southland Outdoor Stadium Trust is more than $1 million in debt and requires $200,000 a year for maintenance.

Trust Chairman Ian Tulloch told the Southland Times that he remained upbeat despite the obvious setback.

Tulloch explained "at least there's a willingness to work with us to maintain the facility to a suitable standard, which was the objective of our request.

"We look forward to continuing discussion with the council."

The Trust had not asked for any funding assistance for the 10-year old stadium during its first eight years of operation but was seeking future support for maintenance of the facility.

Tulloch highlighted that maintenance was up to date.

The Council's decision to reject a funding application for $200,000 a year for Rugby Park maintenance follows on the heels of Southland's two major community funders The Invercargill Licensing Trust and the Community Trust of Southland suggesting they also had no appetite to supply further funding to the owners of Rugby Park.

Alan Dennis, Chairman of both the licensing trust and ILT Foundation, said in March they had given the Rugby Park trust more than $3 million since 2001 and its board felt it had "done our fair bit for rugby".

Community Trust of Southland Chairman Tracy Hicks also indicated in March it would not be rushing to the aid of the park's owners.

Hicks highlighted that the community trust had been "very involved" in the various rescue packages around rugby in the past few years and that included a $750,000 interest-free loan to the Rugby Park trust, to ensure the asset was secured.

5th October 2010 - COUNCIL AND STADIUM TRUST TO WORK TOGETHER TO REBUILD STADIUM SOUTHLAND