AusLeisure

Two senior Auckland Regional Council (ARC) executives have resigned as a result of the losses from last year's David Beckham football match at the ARC-owned Mount Smart Stadium.

Parks General Manager Lance Vervoort and Mt Smart Stadium Group Manager John Lynch were on extended leave following an internal review into the way last December's LA Galaxy match was planned and managed.

ARC Chairman Mike Lee also called in the Auditor-General to investigate what went wrong when the stadium departed from its normal role as venue operator - charging a fee - to act also as event promoter and underwriter.

The two executives wrote a confidential report to councillors last April recommending the football match, between Beckham's LA Galaxy and an 'all-star' Oceania team.

The game drew only 16,600 people instead of the 20,000 needed to break even and made a loss of $1.79 million.

ARC Chief Executive Peter Winder has recently accepted the resignations of both men.

The Auditor-General's report is expected to be released in the near future.

Vervoort, who has been with the ARC for 15 years, had headed the parks department over the last nine years.

Following his resignation, Australasian Parks Forum board member Michael Ayrton was reported as saying that Vervoort was "well respected".

Lynch, had previously headed the redevelopment of the Arena Manawatu sports complex before taking on the Mt Smart role two years ago.

Mt Smart Stadium has a $24.2 million debt, mostly incurred by capital works, such as the East Stand. Its future is currently under review.

5th February 2009 - SPEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: AUDITOR-GENERAL PROBES GALAXY VISIT

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