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Newsroom
21-05-2025
- Business
- Newsroom
Auckland passing hat around to save popular public events
Money charged by Auckland Council to develop the city centre will be diverted and the mayoral office budget tapped to keep events in the city going this year. Public gatherings in a council list of being at risk of no funding include the ASB Classic tennis, Auckland Marathon, Sail GP and Auckland Writers' Festival. The city has now created an Auckland Major Events Fund to 'pull together different funding sources' including seeking 'voluntary contributions from private businesses' to help plug a $7m funding hole. That fund would aim to cover a minimum level of events. The risk to popular events arises from funding cuts for events agency Tatāki Auckland Unlimited – and the council optimistically urging the central Government to change a law to raise the money needed. The scramble for alternative funds comes late in the council's budget process for the next financial year. Advice from council staff to a budget committee workshop on Wednesday said: 'If no additional funding is made available, there would be no funding available for mega, major or regional events.' Mayor Wayne Brown, who has been a hardline cost-cutter on the Tatāki Auckland (TAU) budget through his three-year term, is now leading the late scramble to maintain some funding. Going into the 2025/2026 financial year starting on July 1, TAU is $7m short of the $16.5m budgeted for it in the council's long-term plan for the year's destination management and major events functions. Brown and the council have been disappointed by the Government's refusal to countenance their proposed visitor bed-night levy. That would put a 2.5 percent charge on accommodation prices. The Minister for Auckland, Simeon Brown, has flatly ruled it out, saying it is not on the agenda for this term of government. Crowds watch the racing on day one of the SailGP event in January 2025. Without the millions it normally had available to spend from ratepayers, or the expected bed tax income, TAU has already started withdrawing from bids for bringing future major events to the city. In late April, the TAU chief executive, Nick Hill, surprised councillors and the mayor by advising Auckland had had to pull out of seeking to host the 2030 World Gay Games. In a confidential email, Hill indicated that on present budget forecasts Auckland would also struggle to back the 2027 women's Lions tour, the 2029 men's Lions Tour or a 2028 ICC World Cup cricket tournament. Now, with no money coming to the rescue from central government, Brown has told the budget committee he has come up with $3m of the $7m shortfall and needs TAU to reprioritise its budgets to find the remainder. The mayor said there was clear support for events from the public during consultation on the coming Budget. He had a commitment to 'incentivise' industry to make financial contributions towards the events fund. Brown revealed he had negotiated with the City Centre Advisory Panel, which monitors spending from a special, targeted rate for developing the Auckland city centre, for a contribution of $2.5m from its reserves. Brown said he would also contribute $500,000 that had been underspent from the mayoral office budget. He told councillors TAU would then be instructed to come up with the remaining $4m from its own reserves to keep events happening 'until we have secured the additional funding that will come from new initiatives and partnerships with industry'. 'While this doesn't close the gap completely yet, we will do so in the next few months which shouldn't impact the prospecting for events in FY27 [the financial year 2026/27]. 'At the same time, I will keep asking Government to pay their fair share in support of events that boost GDP while filling their GST coffers.' Brown's note to councillors showed some irritation at TAU having declared it had pulled out of seeking an event. 'I don't want to be surprised to hear we are withdrawing from any event bids in the near future.' Before Auckland set its next long-term plan, the mayor expected 'greater transparency over the bidding process, management of funding for this activity and reporting on the return on investment'. He and his office had made clear to the TAU chair and executive that any problem in bidding for an event should be returned to the council for consideration before any move to withdraw. Asked by his deputy mayor, Desley Simpson, if he would guarantee that if industry fundraising did not meet the immediate $7m target he would cover the total gap from his mayoral budget, Brown demurred. He questioned whether the $7m was an actual required total or perhaps 'plucked from the air because there's seven days in the week'. But he was confident that after industry donations no event the city really wanted would miss out. 'We'll make sure that Tatāki don't drop anything off their list. 'I'm not going to be asking for increased rates or borrowing. We will manage this one way or the other.' While Brown claimed the temporary fund would be 'more than enough to provide certainty to the TAU board to keep moving with the events programme', council officers' advice was less positive. 'If only the $7m [long-term plan] budget shortfall is addressed,' they wrote in a report, 'only a minimum programme of events could be delivered. 'While a short-term funding approach would enable some programme benefits to be maintained, a lack of funding certainty may make it challenging to maintain a pipeline of major events, many of which have large, multi-year lead times.' Asked by Councillor Shane Henderson what form voluntary contributions from industry to the events fund might take, Brown's chief of staff Jazz Singh focused on hotel firms. 'Industry groups are keen to see an ability to contribute to events they are looking for, for example, concerts. If they can see a return on additional nights … they are happy to contribute.' Officials said adding the $7m shortfall directly to the rates would cost $9.14 a year for an average residential unit, or 18 cents a week. Using rates to directly fund the full $27m events had been predicted to need under the long-term plan would cost $35.37 for an average residential unit, or 68 cents a week. The report ruled out paying for the events' shortfall by taking on extra debt, or selling more council assets, as 'inappropriate'.
RNZ News
29-04-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Tennis: Australian star Max Purcell gets 18-month doping ban
Max Purcell of Australia during his singles match at the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland. 2024. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport Australia's two-times Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month ban after breaching anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said. Purcell admitted to a breach of rules relating to the use of a "prohibited method" after unknowingly receiving an IV infusion of vitamins above the allowed limit of 100 ml in a 12-hour span and entered into a provisional suspension in mid-December. The world number 12 said at the time he had informed the clinic he was a professional athlete and that the infusion had to be less than 100 ml. The ITIA said the 27-year-old had received IV infusions of more than 500 ml twice in late 2023 but his full cooperation and information sharing during the investigation had allowed for a 25 percent reduction in sanction. "This case does not involve a player testing positive for a prohibited substance but demonstrates that the anti-doping rules are broader than that," ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said. "It also shows the ITIA considers intelligence from a range of sources with the overriding aim to protect everyone covered by the tennis anti-doping rules, and ensure a level playing field for all." Purcell's suspension will end on 11 June, 2026, after taking into account time already served. "This case has been going on for months, seriously affecting my quality of life," Purcell wrote on social media. "From being unable to sleep and eat properly, and refusing to be by myself, to developing nervous and anxious tics which I still currently battle day to day. "I couldn't sit and enjoy anything without the thought of the case and the endless possibilities of what sanction I would receive. I was nothing but cooperative with the ITIA. I'm so glad this is finally over and I can move on with my life." Purcell will forfeit results and prize money from the date of his first anti-doping rule violation on 16 December, 2023, to his first subsequent negative doping control sample provided on 3 February, 2024. He will also be prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis events sanctioned by the members of the independent ITIA, which was established by the sport's governing bodies. Purcell, who won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 2022 and at the US Open last year, is the latest Grand Slam winner to fall foul of doping regulations. Four-times French Open winner Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension last year after testing positive for the banned drug trimetazidine following contamination of sleep medication. World number one Jannik Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing after two failed tests for anabolic agent clostebol, but accepted a ban of three months earlier this year following a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency. - Reuters
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to Watch Lorenzo Sonego vs. Ugo Humbert at the 2025 Open 13 Provence: Live Stream, TV Channel
Lorenzo Sonego (No. 35 ranking) will meet Ugo Humbert (No. 17) in the quarterfinals at the Open 13 Provence on Friday, February 14. Sonego's last match ended in a victory, – (retired) over Luca van Assche in the Round of 16 on Wednesday. Humbert claimed a victory in two sets the last time he competed, 7-6, 6-4 over Alexander Bublik in the Round of 16 on Wednesday. Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo! Lorenzo Sonego vs. Ugo Humbert: live stream info & TV channel Tournament: Open 13 Provence Open 13 Provence Round: Quarterfinal Quarterfinal Date: Friday, February 14 Friday, February 14 Live Stream: Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo Court Surface: Hard Lorenzo Sonego vs. Ugo Humbert matchup stats On hard courts over the past 12 months, Sonego has gone 21-19 and has won one title. Sonego has won 82.4% of his service games on hard courts and 17.3% of his return games over the past year. Sonego is 41st in break points won on hard courts over the past year, converting 76 of 229 (33.2%). Sonego was defeated in the Round of 16 of his most recent tournament (the ASB Classic) 6-7, 2-6 by No. 41-ranked Alex Michelsen on January 7. Humbert has won one tournament on hard courts over the past 12 months, putting up a 24-12 match record on that surface. Humbert is 393-for-463 in service games on hard courts (84.9%) and 104-for-449 in return games (23.2%). On hard courts Humbert is 100-for-252 on break points, 39.7%, which ranks 16th. In his most recent tournament, Humbert came up just short of the title, losing to No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev 2-6, 2-6 in the Rolex Paris Masters final on November 3. Sonego vs. Humbert futures odds Tennis odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:56 PM ET. Sonego Odds to Win the 2025 Open 13 Provence: +800 +800 Humbert Odds to Win the 2025 Open 13 Provence: +400 Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:56 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to Watch Pedro Martinez vs. Diego Schwartzman at the 2025 Argentina Open: Live Stream, TV Channel
No. 41-ranked Pedro Martinez will take on No. 386 Diego Schwartzman in the Argentina Open Round of 16 on Thursday, February 13. Martinez enters the Round of 16 after his three-set win on Tuesday over Damir Dzumhur (0-6, 6-2, 7-6) in the Round of 32. Schwartzman heads into this match following a three-set victory over Nicolas Jarry (7-6, 4-6, 6-3) in his most recent match on Wednesday in the Round of 32. Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo! Pedro Martinez vs. Diego Schwartzman: live stream info & TV channel Tournament: Argentina Open Argentina Open Round: Round of 16 Round of 16 Date: Thursday, February 13 Thursday, February 13 Live Stream: Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo Watch Tennis Channel on Fubo Court Surface: Clay Pedro Martinez vs. Diego Schwartzman matchup stats In 12 tournaments on clay over the past 12 months, Martinez has gone 15-11. In terms of serve/return winning percentages on clay over the past year, Martinez has won 73.4% of his games on serve, and 26.0% on return. Martinez has converted 37.0% of his break-point opportunities on clay (80 of 216) over the past year. In his last tournament (the ASB Classic), Martinez lost to Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-7, 3-6 on January 6, in the Round of 32. Schwartzman is 5-6 in six tournaments on clay over the past 12 months. Schwartzman is 86-for-122 in service games on clay (winning 70.5%) and 38-for-121 in return games (31.4%). On clay Schwartzman has won 44.2% of break points, 38 out of 86, which ranks 68th. Schwartzman was eliminated in the Qualification Round 2 of his previous tournament (the Roland Garros) on May 22, when he went down 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 to Quentin Halys. Martinez vs. Schwartzman futures odds Tennis odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:56 PM ET. Martinez Odds to Win the 2025 Argentina Open: +3300 +3300 Schwartzman Odds to Win the 2025 Argentina Open: +5000 Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:56 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
