Stadium company directors named

The general manager of Saatchi and Saatchi New Zealand, the former chief executive of Silver Fern Farms and a former High Court judge have been appointed directors of the company that will run the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and other Dunedin venues.

The Dunedin City Council announced the nine directors of Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML) yesterday, a group that includes four Carisbrook Stadium Trust members, including chairman Malcolm Farry.

Former judge Sir John Hansen, who will chair the board, has already been involved in the stadium, having filled the role of non-voting independent chairman of the stadium stakeholders group.

Sir John will earn $24,000 as chairman and each director will earn $16,000, plus expenses for out-of-town directors.

Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin said DVML would manage the council's suite of venues.

"Initially, the Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza will be its focus but it will also manage, at a later date, the Dunedin Centre complex following its major redevelopment and the Edgar Sports Centre."

He did not rule out other venues being managed by the group in future.

Mr Chin said there was no "1000-point plan" setting out the company's role.

Council finance and corporate support general manager Athol Stephens said in February the company would assume full responsibility for marketing, promoting and staging events and activities, maintaining the building, and operating it in a sound financial manner.

Deputy mayor Syd Brown said yesterday a second company would be set up, with the same directors, that would own the stadium, and carry the debt of about $109 million.

Mr Chin said the Carisbrook Stadium Trust would retain its responsibility for the development of the stadium, and all directors of DVML, which would hold its first meeting in the next few weeks, would become trustees of the trust.

Some of the directors lived outside the city but had such strong links to Dunedin they were willing to take the time to travel here to make their expertise available.

"We can consider ourselves to be especially fortunate to have attracted their interest. There's a huge number of people outside Dunedin who have a real loyalty to Dunedin."

• THE DIRECTORS

Chairman: Sir John Hansen, of Christchurch, former High Court judge; managed New Zealand team in Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes; former chairman of Rugby World Cup final appeals committee; International Cricket Council code of conduct commissioner.

Deputy chairman: Peter Stubbs, of Auckland, Simpson Grierson partner; New Zealand Tourism Board former member; performing arts convention and entertainment company the Edge chairman.

Directors:
- Stewart Barnett, of Christchurch, former Silver Fern Farms chief executive; Carisbrook Stadium Trust trustee.

- Bill Baylis, of Queenstown, Naylor Love Enterprises chairman; Real Journeys Ltd chairman; Port of Tauranga, Blackhead Quarries Ltd director; Carisbrook Stadium Trust trustee.

- Peter Brown, of Dunedin, Port Otago general manager commercial; Edgar Centre board member (Sport Otago representative); Fortune Theatre Board deputy chairman; Dunedin Heritage Festival steering group member.

- Malcolm Farry, of Dunedin, Carisbrook Stadium Trust chairman, former Dunedin City councillor, Farry Group of Companies, executive director.

- Peter Hutchison, of Dunedin, Fund Managers Otago chief executive; chairman of Daffodil Enterprises, a Cancer Society of New Zealand subsidiary; director and member of the national finance advisory committee of the Otago Southland division of Cancer Society.

- Jennifer Rolfe, of Auckland, Saatchi and Saatchi New Zealand general manager; New Zealand Marketing Association board member; Direct Marketing Council committee member; grew up in Dunedin.

- Kereyn Smith, of Dunedin, Academy of Sport chief executive; International Netball Federation vice-president; Carisbrook Stadium Trust trustee.

david.loughrey@odt.co.nz [1]