Media release

11 September 2012

Auckland’s RWC 2011 team wins local government awards

While the All Blacks delivered on the field at Rugby World Cup 2011, the Auckland Council RWC 2011 Programme team focused on an outstanding off-the-field collaboration – its success has now been rewarded with two accolades at the Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) awards.

The ATEED-led squad including Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, Regional Facilities Auckland and Waterfront Auckland has won the ‘Joined up Local Government Award’, and the coveted ‘Supreme Award’ at the 2012 SOLGM GHD Local Government Excellence Awards.

ATEED Chief Executive Brett O’Riley says the Auckland Council RWC 2011 team left an impressive legacy for the city, and is honoured to have won the prestigious awards.

“Recognition from our peers in SOLGM is highly valued by the entire team, which put in a lot of hard work over a number of years. Rugby World Cup is the third largest sporting event in the world and RWC 2011 was New Zealand’s biggest ever sporting event, so effective collaboration among diverse agencies was crucial if Auckland was to deliver an outstanding tournament experience for residents and visitors.”

“The partnership which worked on the city’s $89.7 million RWC 2011 programme was designed to draw on the specialist expertise and resources of each organisation, and this strategy was highly effective.”

Brett O’Riley says Auckland Council Group’s 139-project programme was delivered on time and under budget. The programme was critical to the success of Auckland’s role as key host city, and New Zealand’s ability to host the Tournament.

He says the programme included the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront and public transport, engaged the wider Auckland community in unprecedented ways, and crucially, reinforced Auckland’s position as a city capable of hosting world-class events.

A total economic injection of $512 million, 114,000 visitors, and more than a million visitors to Queens Wharf, are just some of the RWC 2011 programme’s impressive numbers.

“Beyond the facts and figures, innovations such as the Fan Trail and Fanzones, and the delivery of outstanding legacy projects such as the Wynyard Quarter and Queens Wharf, were hallmarks of the team’s ability to think outside the square, engage with numerous stakeholders, and overcome logistical hurdles,” says Brett O’Riley.

“The project provided the blueprint for how future major events, of which Auckland has many in the next few years, will be managed and delivered effectively.”

Ends

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