Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

North Harbour Stadium remains the logical option

14 November 2006

Media Release: North Harbour Stadium remains the logical option

North Harbour Stadium remains the logical option for a national stadium to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, says Enterprise North Shore Trust Chairman, Ian Watson. This is in light of the government’s announcement on Friday, indicating a preference for a new Waterfront Stadium.

“When one considers the economic importance of the Rugby World Cup and then looks at the extraordinary levels of uncertainty over the availability of land on the Waterfront, the cost of reinforcing the area, the extreme difficulty and the complexity of the design and build, let alone the technical requirements for an adequate playing surface, it is hard to see why Government has plumped for the Waterfront. We encourage Government and Auckland to think again about the potential of the multi-use North Harbour Stadium as host of the Rugby World Cup,” says Ian Watson.

Sitting on 28 hectares of land, North Harbour Stadium in Albany is built and zoned for expansion, making it a low risk and cost effective option. It will cost $226 million to increase its capacity to 60,000, including corporate box and VIP requirements. North Harbour Stadium has the benefit of two major roading investments by the Government. The Northern busway will be completed next year and the southern and western motorway extensions mean that spectators travelling to an event at North Harbour Stadium from the south, the airport or western suburbs have a second motorway option.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Plans are being implemented for major retail, hospitality and business expansion that encircle the Stadium and other sports facilities”, explains Mr Watson. “North Harbour Stadium has the resource consents it requires for expansion – it doesn’t require Government to overrule its own resource management regulations, nor does it need to buy new land. It doesn’t require the facilitative and consultative approach that normally would be expected for development of a brand new stadium in the CBD. All this work has been done. North Harbour will deliver a fantastic Rugby World Cup.”

North Harbour Stadium regularly hosts international events for football, rugby league and rugby union, on behalf of FIFA, ARL and NRL teams, NZRL and the NZRFU. Its rectangular field makes it extremely popular with spectators, who are only metres from the playing surface. It regularly wins the right to host large outdoor music events – from Pavarotti’s Farewell tour, to pop and rock concerts as well as extreme motor sports. Its function facilities are the busiest of its type in New Zealand.

“It all comes down to economics and meeting the criteria of a sustainable stadium and function facility, anticipated within the Government and the NZRFU’s bid to the IRB to host the Rugby World Cup. The North Harbour Stadium proposal is the least expensive Auckland option and has minimal obstacles for resource consent in its way. For these reasons alone, North Harbour Stadium should be the Government’s and Auckland’s first choice to meet the obligations New Zealand accepted to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On How Climate Change Threatens Cricket‘s Future

Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else and complaining that he's inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” - which is how most of us would describe his own coalition agreements, 100-Day Plan, and backdated $3 billion handout to landlords... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.