Brown Elephant
Tainui are to be chucking $80 million into a "luxury" airport hotel in Manukau. Announced around the same time another "south of" Auckland luxury hotel went under, Hotel du Vin and predictions thereof of more woe to come in the sector.
This year, Mr Morgan has been urging Maori to invest in infrastructure.
Question - if you are going to be visiting Auckland, do a) you want to stay at the airport, b) have time every day to drive hours and hours around the city in New Zealand's worst traffic to see attractions when you are based in Manukau?, c) have $160 to spend to taxi to central city when you've had a drink and need to get from and back to the hotel?
Nope.
Awful investment, and anything with Tuku Morgan involved is bound to have cost over-runs, funny accounting and dirty designer underpants. He's already junketed to Dubai. Airport hotels are traditionally awful, Auckland airport doesn't have enough traffic flow as Auckland is not a gateway city to anywhere really but the Pacific Islands, people don't need to stay the night to layover. Manukau airport is miles from the Central city and there is no public transport system to get you there.
But it's their money, good on them. Just don't come running for more handouts when their funds have been fleeced.
This year, Mr Morgan has been urging Maori to invest in infrastructure.
In April, he flew to Dubai to meet members of the royal family who were involved in a 2007 bid by Dubai Aerospace to get a controlling interest in Auckland Airport.
The airport company wants to build a luxury hotel in time for the World CupQuestion - if you are going to be visiting Auckland, do a) you want to stay at the airport, b) have time every day to drive hours and hours around the city in New Zealand's worst traffic to see attractions when you are based in Manukau?, c) have $160 to spend to taxi to central city when you've had a drink and need to get from and back to the hotel?
Nope.
Awful investment, and anything with Tuku Morgan involved is bound to have cost over-runs, funny accounting and dirty designer underpants. He's already junketed to Dubai. Airport hotels are traditionally awful, Auckland airport doesn't have enough traffic flow as Auckland is not a gateway city to anywhere really but the Pacific Islands, people don't need to stay the night to layover. Manukau airport is miles from the Central city and there is no public transport system to get you there.
But it's their money, good on them. Just don't come running for more handouts when their funds have been fleeced.
posted by Cactus Kate at 5:24 AM
7 Comments:
And then they, the Tainui, have the gall to ask for a say in the governance of Auckland.
FFS.
The only airport hotel in Australasia which actually seems to flourish, for the "gateway" reasons you refer to is the Hilton at MEL Airport. These Maori investors are heading for yet another disaster with monies belonging to the honky taxpayers!
Can you imagine two bigger dils that Tuku Morgan and Graeme Latimer? I quote old Haki Apiata (Maori Jack) who said to me about 50 years ago:-
"When it comes to getting hold of money there's nobody smarter than the Maori and once he's got it there's nobody as stupid."
But they will come running Cactus, they will.
I cant remember what the total number of "full and FINAL Settlement" is at present can you?
Sir Bob Jones famously said "never invest in forests, airlines or hotels", or words to that effect.
Sounds like a bloody stupid idea. Oh well better than blowing it on KFC and Lion Brown
The more accounting work I do for Maori organisations, the more racist I become.
When you look at their businesses from the inside out you see head shaking stuff.
Steve Tu-O-Mo
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