Brian Rudman: Stadiums decision a real no-brainer
Eden Park. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Auckland councillors have an easy choice to make on Thursday when they consider the future of the region's various stadiums.
Either they agree to centralise all major oval-ball games at the splendiferous newly upgraded Eden Park and start retiring debt on that facility, or they pour an extra $60 million that the council doesn't have into upgrading the Warriors' home at Mt Smart Stadium. There are also the problems of Western Springs Speedway and North Shore Stadium, of which more later.
It should be a short debate.
In June, Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) began consulting sporting bodies with a proposal to rationalise use of the region's major venues - Eden Park, which underwent a $250 million makeover in preparation for last year's Rugby World Cup, Mt Smart, Western Springs and North Harbour Stadium.
The stadiums all needed on-going financial support from the council and, hence, the ratepayers and all faced a difficult future. Mt Smart's ageing infrastructure required an upgrade costing upwards of $60 million to bring facilities into the 21st century and meet the desire of the rugby league franchise to increase seating capacity from the present 22,000 to the international standard of 30,000. Both it and North Harbour require on-going operating funding support.
As for Eden Park, it struggles to break even and has debts of $55 million to service. It lacks "sufficient capacity to fund depreciation, service debt or provide for new investment", RFA's report to the council says.
The various stadiums are operated and maintained under separate ownership and governance structures and compete with one another for a limited number of events.
In addition, "years of ad-hoc development mean training facilities ... for major sporting codes are not up to standard", putting at risk the region's ability to attract and retain top sporting talent.
While recognising "most major stadiums require some form of public subsidy ... there is a risk that the level of subsidy from Auckland ratepayers for Mt Smart and North Harbour stadiums is higher than necessary because of the sub-optimal use of the existing regional resources".
RFA rules out a $60 million upgrade of Mt Smart as unaffordable and suggests the various ownership trusts work together to identify opportunities to share operation and management resources in the interest of regional cost saving.
It also recommends that Eden Park become the primary venue for rugby union, rugby league and Auckland Cricket games, while Mt Smart Stadium could remain league's base for central administration and training.
Treading warily, RFA also proposes that while recognising "Auckland Cricket's commitment to Eden Park", it was interested in exploring "the suitability of Western Springs as a possible location for future test cricket and local cricket games".
Before that can be considered, however, there's the issue of the speedway, which has a contract for Western Springs expiring in June 2014.
Rather neatly, RFA has completed that circle by suggesting Mt Smart "would provide growth potential for Speedway Promotions Ltd that currently does not exist at Western Springs".
For many of the people living within earshot of Western Springs, such a move would be greeted with much delight. It's the solution I suggested back in 2004. The messy and unsatisfactory solution for all sides then was a compromise on noise levels, and a restriction on the timing and frequency of race meetings. In return for that, the speedway was allowed to remain in inner-city suburbia. On second thoughts, I might have proposed Waikaraka Park in Te Papapa. Both it and nearby Mt Smart have the advantage of being in an industrial zone, well away from most homes. Somehow, RFA seems confident it can combine rugby league training facilities, speedway and athletics within this venue.
As for North Shore Stadium, we're told NZ Football was the only major sporting code to show a strong preference for it, but that "it should be retained to preserve future options".
The regional grand solution is going to require compromises all round. No doubt some of the more vocal Eden Park neighbours will be wary. But with the new railway station and assorted other infrastructure installed for the World Cup, and the major upgrade, Eden Park is now Auckland's premier stadium, and the task is to make the best use of it possible.
Rationalising regional assets was one of the driving forces of the local government amalgamation process. It's great to see it actually happening.
Once this is done the Eden park pitch should be dropped a couple of metres, centred and seating added on both sides so some spectators can be right next to the pitch.
Just my opinion. Is their any technical issues preventing this?
The council spends our ratepayer money on "manufacturing" cultural events in attempt to make Auckland "the most liveable city". It seems ironic that they have a wonderful family sport that has over 75 years of true sporting heritage that they are choosing to toss on the scrap heap.
Shame on you Auckland Council!
In fact I see very few winners from the proposed stadium rejig.
Residents surrounding Eden Park are unhappy, Warriors supporters are unhappy, Waikaraka Park is unhappy. Thousands of Western Springs spectators like my 4 year old son and my 69 year old father will be devastated.
For those that suggest a merger of the Waikaraka and Western Springs, this is the equivalent to saying that Rugby and Rugby League should merge codes as they are played with the same shaped ball on a grass field.
In fact only a relative miniscule number of winners would exist, the few whinny Westmere residents who purchased their property in the full knowledge that Speedway runs at Western Springs.
Successful money grabs stating we need to spend $250million so we can reap the rewards of staging the best world cup., but now But in order to maintain all we need is another 60million (no doubt 55 million plus extra per year because of all the money spent on hanger oners. Just for one stadium
Where are the benefits? My rates went up.
Sydney stadium with 5million people living in Sydney and millions of regular sporting tourists and their stadium looses money.
Get real Brownie, keep away from the stadiums. There is only 1 million people in Auckland and a fair chunk of them don't pay rates.