I was talking to Chorus CEO Mark Ratcliffe about the messy, embarrassing Transfield situation on Friday afternoon when he asked me if I’d heard of the Gigatown competition.

I said yes, and that when I tweeted about it, a number of people replied wondering if suburbs of Auckland or Wellington could be in the running (Mt Eden Village, anyone?).

Mr Ratcliffe (who is based in Wellington) volunteered that the capital’s council wards could possibly be considered towns for the purposes of the competition – and that a similar approach could perhaps be taken to discrete areas of Auckland and other large centres.

But for now – as with any good Chorus negotiation – a variety of options are on the table as the company discusses possible terms with councils and other parties.

The Gigatown competition, in whatever final form it takes, will open in seven weeks’ time.

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