The Golden Bay Grand Stand Community Trust (Trust) submitted a refined proposal to Tasman District Council (TDC) which contained a comprehensive and cost-neutral (to TDC) plan to retain the grandstand. As part of their refined proposal, the Trust commissioned a Conservation Plan and further seismic assessment, both of which support the Trust's refined proposal. The proposal itself shows that the grandstand can be retained in situ for less than the cost of full demolition AND provide valuable heritage and amenity value that will enhance the operation of the new facility. However council staff seemed determined to present to councillors a negative take on the proposal. It is saddening and very frustrating to see the Trust's hard work, and the hard work of all the community members who have contributed to the refined proposal, being filtered through the single-minded demolition-focused staff at TDC. Despite what TDC staff are saying, we know that the new facility can open and function fully - at most it would require a rearrangement of car parking (the Trust has redrawn the car parking plan already at no cost to TDC) and the issuing of a Certificate of Public Use. It would seem that the sensible next step would be to re-instate the stairs of the grandstand so it can be used (the Trust has obtained funding for this from Pub Charity) and operate the grandstand and new facility side by side and just see how it goes for a season. Demolition is final - this way all options are kept open. To this end we ask that supporters of the grandstand email the councillors and suggest this. Their email addresses are below: anne.turley@tasman.govt.nz dean.mcnamara@tasman.govt.nz tim.king@tasman.govt.nz sue.brown@tasman.govt.nz paul.sangster@tasman.govt.nz richard.kempthorne@tasman.govt.nz stuart.bryant@tasman.govt.nz peter.canton@tasman.govt.nz paul.hawkes@tasman.govt.nz david.ogilvie@tasman.govt.nz mark.greening@tasman.govt.nz kit.maling@tasman.govt.nz trevor.tuffnell@tasman.govt.nz dana.wensley@tasman.govt.nz Thank you for your continued support! PS photo is of an artist's impression of the grandstand, with squash court building removed, and new facility side by side. Together they provide exceptional facilities for all users of the showgrounds.