Minister Tizard welcomes decision

Auckland Issues Minister Judith Tizard has welcomed a decision on the Auckland stadium.

"Some may see this as a lost opportunity to have a keystone development which may have been the centrepiece for the eventual redevelopment of the waterfront," she says.

"As recent concerts like the Rolling Stones and U2 have shown, Auckland lacks a cultural and community events centre as well as a major sporting centre. Auckland is having to make many compromises on events at existing venues and I'm sure that we are missing out on many other opportunities.

"Like the Committee for Auckland, I also hope that Auckland will find the resources for a major trade and events centre in the next few years.

"The Rugby World Cup is a major opportunity for us to showcase New Zealand's sports, culture and places to the world. We need to plan the best use of public and private investment to make sure this and other opportunities are well-used.

"So I'm looking forward to seeing more about the proposed costings as well as more information about the other uses the development at Eden Park may enable."

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