Debate over sponsorship signs for Wither Hills mountainbike skills park

A club’s proposal to use sponsored signs to fund a mountainbike area in Blenheim’s Wither Hills has been questioned by some councillors.

The Marlborough Mountain Bike Club wants to develop a mountainbike skills area, but needs private sponsorship to help fund it.

To get this, the club wants to put out sponsorship packages, which would include naming rights, logos, branding, storyboards and directional signs in different parts of the skills park.

But sponsorship signage is not a “permitted activity” under the Wither Hills management plan, so the request needs sign-off from the Marlborough District Council. A resource consent is also still needed for the park.

At an assets and services meeting on July 11, the council’s parks and open spaces manager Jane Tito said the proposed park, beside the Gentle Annie path, had five different features that would each have a sponsorship sign.

A copy of the funding proposal provided to the council said the club was working to a “very high-level estimate” of $60,000 for its construction.

Marlborough Lines had offered a $10,000 sponsorship in exchange for naming rights, so the park would be the Marlborough Lines Skills Park.

The club then wanted to find five zone naming sponsors, for $5,000 each. They also intended to apply for various community grants, and the club itself was willing to commit up to $10,000.

The club was not requesting anything from council, except a waiving of resource consent costs. The council’s logo would be displayed on the trail map board at the start of the park.

Committee chair and deputy mayor David Croad said he asked council staff a few questions about the sponsorship signage ahead of the committee meeting.

“Because obviously the Wither Hills Farm Park is a very special place, and we don’t want it to be emblazoned with neon signs.”

But as part of the proposal, council staffers would approve the design, size and placement of the signs, which Croad said was “key”.

“It’s a win-win here.”

But Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Sally Arbuckle said she was “wary” about the proposal.

“I feel that people get so much advertising thrown at them, wherever that they go,” Arbuckle said.

“We’re trying to get people to relax, enjoy the nature and the scenery, without signs being in their faces.

“I am not 100% sold on this just yet.”

Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Scott Adams wondered if it would be better to let the proposal lie on the table until they had the designs in front of them.

But Croad said the issue with waiting was the club wanted to instigate bits of infrastructure for the park and seek funding for that.

“If we don’t make a decision, and we stall that process, [we] eliminate their ability to get funding, those skills areas aren’t happening.”

Blenheim ward councillor Jonathan Rosene asked if the signs would be bilingual, and whether iwi should be consulted, so the council met its treaty obligations.

Marlborough Sounds ward councillor Ben Minehan said he was a father that would encourage his children to get outdoors and use the mountainbike park. He asked if the council had any policy surrounding sponsorship from alcohol companies.

It was confirmed the council did not, but it was likely that sponsors would be from the mountainbike industry or major sponsors such as Marlborough Lines.

Blenheim ward councillor Brian Dawson thought the club should be commended for not looking to council for funding.

“I think the club is being proactive.

“I don’t see it as particularly intrusive, I think as long as the signs are tasteful, well done, the font sizes are reasonable and not distracting, it’s a pretty large area.

“I think equally, let’s not overcomplicate this. We’re talking about some sponsors that want some logos, and some naming rights.

“I don’t think we need to put obstacles in the way.”

Croad went on to say there had been some “really good discussion”.

“I think the point is that this signage is first and foremost educational about what’s going to be there, with the sponsorship tag to help fund the activity.

”That’s what we need to focus on.”

The committee approved the request. This was subject to full council approval on August 10.