Major Update May 2021:

As we continue to keep our supporters up-to-date via the standard petition updates, at this stage it seemed necessary to update the petition itself to acknowledge the positive steps Tasman District Council (TDC) is taking to restore the Grandstand. 

The Council resolution of 19 March 2020 set in motion the restoration by TDC of the Grandstand within a three year time limit. Work is underway to achieve this and updates will be given on its progress. Because of this the Grandstand is currently no longer under imminent threat of demolition. Just being able to write those words now is a huge achievement and one which would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of so many, many people. So thank you all very much.

We are not totally out of the woods but we can now see the edge and, beyond that, a well-loved building once more providing shelter and service to the community who built it 122 years ago. We are hoping that it will be possible for it to be back in use for the 125th Golden Bay Agricultural Show in January 2022.  

The original petition wording remains below as a reminder of the progress being have made.

Original petition:

The grandstand at the Golden Bay showgrounds is going to be demolished to make room for car parking spaces. No replacement outdoor spectator seating is being built.  

Spectators are valid users of a recreation venue and this decision that will remove their part of that venue is both unwise and unfair.

Not only is our current grandstand covered, it also seats 300 people and is raised high enough for even little children to be able to see the action clearly on the fields. To replace such an asset will cost far more than the money required to maintain the existing grandstand.

WHAT HAS NOT BEEN MADE CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THE NEW FACILITY CAN FUNCTION FULLY WITHOUT DEMOLISHING THE GRANDSTAND.

Help us let Mayor Richard Kempthorne and CEO Lindsay McKenzie of Tasman District Council know that we are not happy with this decision, that we did not know the grandstand was going to be replaced by car parking spaces and that we want to keep the grandstand, at least until an equivalent replacement is built!

The more community members who pass on this message, the stronger our petition will be. It will also provide Richard and Lindsay with a much more realistic idea of the community's feelings on the matter, a view which has been obscured until now by miscommunication and misunderstanding.