‘Son of Māngere’: Local board backs LOMU Day with $10,000 funding

A celebration of rugby legend Jonah Lomu is getting a $10,000 boost.

The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board made the decision to contribute $10,000 to the event after debating whether approving funding outside the usual grants process was fair to other applicants at its monthly business meeting on Wednesday.

South Auckland LOMU Day is due to be held at Māngere Town Centre on 29 August as a free community celebration of Lomu and his legacy.

Organisers say the event could attract up to 10,000 people and will feature live performances, local market stalls, youth and community participation, and a showcase of some of Lomu’s favourite cars.

Taro Patch Creative had sought $59,000 towards the event’s estimated $74,660 cost from Auckland Council, but the event was due to take place before the board's September grants decisions.

Council staff therefore assessed the application as ineligible for that funding round because of the timing, prompting the Taro Patch to make a separate request directly to the board.

The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board has approved $10,000 towards event production costs for South Auckland LOMU Day. Photo/Auckland Council

Board member Fe’etau Papaliitele Lafulafu Peo questioned whether approving funding outside the normal process was fair to other applicants.

“If we agree to give funds to this group here, then does that mean are we going to continue with this or not?”

Peo said the concern was how other applicants might view the board's decision-making.

Acting chair Christine O’Brien said the request was being considered separately from the board’s usual grants round.

“Because they on a technicality don’t qualify because their event is outside the time that we can fund under this round, the separate request has come to the board on its own merits saying, would we exercise a discretion?”

O’Brien acknowledged concerns about fairness if the board was seen to be picking which applications to support.

“You’re absolutely right, that would be a very difficult position to put the board members in the community, and if we were to just cherry pick and choose.”

Local area manager Victoria Villaraza clarified that organisers had submitted an application before their event, but the local board's grant decisions would not be made until September.

Jonah Lomu became a global rugby icon after growing up and developing his talent in South Auckland. Photo/Madman Entertainment

The application had therefore been found ineligible for that round because the event would already have taken place.

Advising the board during the meeting, Villaraza said the final decision rested with elected members after considering staff advice and the funding process.

“Decision-making is not just [a] technical exercise,” Villaraza said. “The reason why you sit around the table is to make sure that you weigh up the advice and the procedures and everything else.”

Board member Joe Glassie-Rasmussen supported making a contribution, pointing to Lomu's connection to Māngere and the potential economic benefits for the area.

“This is a massive event. And we know Jonah Lomu globally. And I think about the economic benefits that it'll bring to our local community as well.”

“But he's a son of Māngere, team,” he said.

“It's very rare that we get something like this within our local board area as well. Hence my support behind it.”

O’Brien said the chair, who was absent from the meeting, had earlier suggested a contribution of about $5000, before another board member proposed $10,000.

Glassie-Rasmussen supported the $10,000 and suggested it go towards event costs such as the stage or screen, rather than personnel.

Event production is the largest single category in the organisers' funding request, with $31,000 budgeted for the stage, screen, sound, lighting, venue, power, generator and diesel.

The board approved $10,000 towards event production costs.

Organisers had told the board they had already raised $14,220 through sponsorship, funding, stallholder registrations and car club registrations and were continuing to fundraise.

They said the timing was critical because the local board’s grants decision was scheduled after the event, while supplier commitments and compliance costs needed to be confirmed beforehand.

O’Brien said the board also wanted to make clear the decision should not set expectations for future funding requests.

“Can we please also note that this is an unusual circumstance, and it’s not necessarily to be taken as a precedent of any kind," she said.

The funding remains subject to Auckland Council funding agreements and accountability requirements.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.