This Act may be cited as the Wellington City Exhibition Grounds Act 1959.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Act or in the deed dated 20 March 1873 made between the Superintendent of the Province of Wellington and the Mayor, Councillors, and Citizens of the City of Wellington vesting in the Corporation the Town Belt Reserve of the City of Wellington, the Corporation is hereby authorised, with the consent of the Minister of Lands, to grant a lease of the Exhibition Site for a term of 21 years and providing for perpetual rights of renewal for successive periods of 21 years to the Association or to any assigns of the Association having objects within the scope of this Act upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Corporation and approved by the Minister.

So long as this Act or any lease granted hereunder remains in force all statutory provisions specially relating to the Town Belt, and the trusts and the powers of leasing relating to the Town Belt contained in the vesting deed, shall be suspended in relation to and shall not apply to that portion of the Town Belt Reserve included in the Exhibition Site.

While this Act and any lease or renewal thereof granted in accordance with this Act remain in force the Exhibition Site may be used for all or any of the following purposes, namely, exhibitions, shows, meetings, sports, games, contests, entertainments, social functions, cultural and recreational purposes, and for any purposes ancillary thereto.

The Association or its assigns or under-lessees having objects within the scope of this Act, with the consent of the Association or its assigns, may, with the prior consent of the Corporation, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, construct buildings or carry out alterations or additions to buildings, and may lay out the grounds on the Exhibition Site for any of the purposes set out in this Act, and shall maintain all buildings and grounds on the said site.

All buildings, excavation works, laying out of grounds, paths, fencing, and other work shall be constructed, carried out, and maintained to the satisfaction of the Corporation.

The Corporation shall be under no financial or contractural obligations whatsoever in respect of any works carried out on the Exhibition Site, and no statutory charge or lien under the Wages Protection and Contractors’ Liens Act 1939 or any other Act shall attach to the Exhibition Site by reason of any such work.

The Association or its assigns may, with the prior consent of the Corporation, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, underlease or grant a licence to use the Exhibition Site and buildings thereon or any part thereof for any purpose within the scope of this Act.

The Association may, with the consent of the Minister of Conservation, at any time during the continuance of the operation of this Act borrow money by way of debentures or otherwise for any purposes within the scope of this Act.

The Wellington City Exhibition Grounds Act 1927 and the Wellington City Exhibition Grounds Amendment Act 1930 are hereby repealed.

Without limiting the provisions of the Acts Interpretation Act 1924, it is hereby declared that the repeal of any provision by this Act shall not affect any debentures issued by the Association under that provision; and the debentures if and so far as they are subsisting and in force and unredeemed at the time of the repeal shall continue and have full force and effect until redeemed by the Association as if there had been no such repeal.