MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 14th September FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Action Hobson Welcomes Banks' Comments On The Eden Park Upgrade

Action Hobson has welcomed Auckland City Mayoral candidate John Banks' promise that he will not spend ratepayers' money on revamping Eden Park.

The two Action Hobson Councillors, Christine Caughey and Richard Simpson, and Council candidate Maggie Lawton, said that Eden Park is the wrong stadium in the wrong place, and fully supported Mr Banks' decision not to use ratepayers' money on an upgrade.

"Auckland definitely needs to think again before making such an enormous and wrong-headed investment," Cr Caughey said.

"Even if Eden Park is chosen by the Government as the main stadium for the Rugby World Cup in 2011 - along with the proposed convention centre - it would clearly be a national stadium by another name and should be funded from the Government as well as users of the ground, including the Rugby Union and its international sponsors."

Councillor Richard Simpson expressed concern that C&R appeared to have a significant conflict of interest over the issue, with Ken Baguley, the Chairman of the Auckland Rugby Football Union, standing on the C&R ticket for the upcoming elections.

"This appears to be another example of C&R putting forward candidates with serious conflicts following Tony Bierre's conflict of interest over the Auckland laboratory contracts. Is this why C&R block voted against the Carlaw Park proposal in favour of Eden Park?"

Council candidate Maggie Lawton said Mr Baguley should state his position on the revamp of Eden Park.

"It's important the Auckland ratepayers know whether Mr Baguely agrees with Action Hobson and John Banks that our rates should not be spent upgrading his Eden Park, or whether his standing for council is a way of obtaining ratepayers' money for his pet project."

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