Bruce Robertson: National Superstock Speedway promoter on the ban of fizzy drinks in sports grounds

Palmerston North Council is calling for an extension on the ban of sugary drinks at sports grounds. 

That brings a total of 8 venues targeted in the ban, including the Trusts arena, which is the home of the turbos, as well as the Speedway.

National Superstock Speedway promoter Bruce Robertson talks to Mike Hosking about the impact of such a ban on his industry. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A bit of Engston Palmerston as the council wants. That's

(00:02):
extension on sugary drinks band at sports grounds, So we
get eight more venues targeted, apparently, including the Trust Arena
which is the home of the turbot as well as
the speedway. Bruce Robertson is a promoter of the National
Superstock Speedway and is will this Bruce very good morning
to you?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good morning, like good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Do you face these things anywhere else around the country,
do you know in terms of speedway and events and
what you get to do and don't do and can
and can't sell.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, I guess that's a trend that's starting to evolve
in New Zealand at the moment. They councils are wanting
to and certain people, I guess are wanting to control
what people eat and drink and that sort of thing.
So I guess it's a sign of the times, although
here there's some fairly strong opposition to it, I believe.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah, would it affect you on a night out in
terms of revenue or your slice of the revenue or
anything like that, Well, I.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Guess people like to be able to make their own
decision as to what they want to drink and what
they want to eat. And I guess sugar is in
lots of things these days. It's even in an orange juice.
And I guess tomato sauce as well. Look, there's sugar
and tomato sauce, so you might be able to have
sauce on your chips or your hot dogs.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
There's a lot of tomato. There's a lot of sugar
and tomato sauce. I could bore your whitnss with my
knowledge of the amount of sugar and tomato sauce. But
the other thing is booze. Of course booze is full
of sugar exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
But then who's going to accept that as a restriction.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
So you've just got to put up with it. Right,
So if you want to hire a ground and the
council owns the ground and they say at this particular ground, this, this,
and this happened, you just got to suck it up.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
You've got a yes, I think an actual fact in
parners to North here. I believe that they are only selling.
We don't do the catering side of it. The council
handles that it's a council facility, and I believe they've
only been selling diet coke and diet sprite in the
last couple of years, but now they're wanting to extend

(02:01):
it further by the sounds of things, and over a
lot of other venues, and people aren't happy about it.
There's the feedback I'm getting. There's a lot of resistance
to them. We're saying, hey, this is a nanny state.
What are we trying to do here? It would be
nanny city Farmers to north.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Bus Bruce appreciated. Bruce Robinson speedway promoter. Grant Smith, who's
the mayor, methinks is a bit of overreach as well.
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