Aucklanders will have a say on plans for a 12,500-seat stadium or a Ponsonby Rugby Club/music venue at Western Springs. Video / Dean Purcell
Auckland councillors voted for public consultation on Western Springs’ future, considering two main proposals.
Ali Williams supports a 12,500-seat stadium, while Sir Bryan Williams backs a concert venue and community hub.
Public consultation runs from May 19 to June 15, with feedback to be assessed afterwards.
Rugby legend Sir Bryan “Beegee” Williams and former All Black Ali Williams are in opposing camps for the hotly-contested plans for Western Springs going out for public consultation this month.
A third option is to do nothing or explore other ideas, which could involve Ponsonby Rugby. An amendment to include the possible return of speedway to Western Springs in the option was lost.
The decision to go to public consultation lasted four hours, turning ugly at times over the role of speedway in the mix, and leading to Mayor Wayne Brown adjourning the meeting at one stage for councillors to cool down.
At one point, Brown joked: “We have heard from you guys for seven hours, I just want to hear from the public.”
Billionaire Anna Mowbray and husband Ali Williams are part of a consortium with Texan billionaire and Auckland FC backer Bill Foley that is behind the “Auckland Arena” – incorporating a new 12,500-seat stadium, community sports facilities, a high-performance centre, and hospitality.
The Auckland Arena team has released a video of its proposal, featuring a campaign to generate public support. Ali Williams said: “Western Springs is just crying out for it to happen.”
Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams (inset) are part of the consortium for the Auckland Arena proposal.
Sir Bryan Williams has spent much of his life at Ponsonby Rugby Club, which has teamed up with two music promoters to build a Hollywood Bowl-style live concert and festival venue, a 5000-seat boutique stadium, and a multi-sport community hub.
Thebackers of the “Western Springs Bowl” have said they did not wish to comment beyond what Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) has released until the process is concluded, but Bryan Williams told the Herald last year: “There is no alternative to fit our needs like Western Springs.”
There are no firm plans to relocate Ponsonby Rugby Club when its lease expires in 2027 but the council body that oversees stadiums, TAU, is looking at Coxs Bay and Victoria Park.
Sir Bryan Williams at the Ponsonby Rugby Club, which he wants to remain at Western Springs. Photo / Dean Purcell
The mayor and councillors are keeping an open mind until public consultation closes next month and the feedback is assessed, but the TAU board has already evaluated the two options and backs the Auckland Arena with a new 12,500-seat sports stadium as its preferred option.
TAU chief executive Nick Hill today said the Auckland Arena is the best option, saying it is the best proposal for ratepayers financially and includes investment into football and basketball, which are Auckland’s fastest-growing sports and are struggling for infrastructure.
For the second time, Brown today declined a request from representatives of the speedway community to address the governing body. He refused a similar request last October when councillors voted to move speedway from Western Springs to Waikaraka Park in Onehunga.
Said councillor John Watson: “These people were cut out in their entirety and denied speaking rights twice.”
Brown also declined a request today for Ali Williams to address the meeting.
What are the three options?
Public consultation is due to run from May 19 to June 15.
Option 1: Auckland Arena – a multi-purpose sports and entertainment precinct centred on a football-focused 12,500-seat stadium (25,000+ capacity for concerts), including high-performance facilities, eight indoor basketball courts, four padel courts and related commercial activity (hospitality and sports/health-related services). This option would be funded by private investment (in the range of $200-300m as the initial investment, with all ongoing operational and capital costs covered, with no upfront or ongoing costs to the ratepayer) in exchange for a long-term discounted or community lease.
Option 2: Western Springs Bowl – multi-purpose sports and entertainment facilities including permanent music/festival infrastructure (50,000 capacity), a broadcast-capable boutique stadium (5000+ seats) and a multi-sport community hub. This option would be funded by a mix of private investment ($30m) and ratepayer funding ($18-20m upfront investment and ongoing operational and capital costs), as well as long-term discounted and/or community leases.
Option 3: Neither option above; do nothing or explore other ideas–under this option, TAU could retain existing arrangements with Ponsonby Rugby Club, whose lease runs until 2027, or explore other ideas for the venue.
Following consultation, the findings will be presented to the council’s Governing Body.
A recommendation will then be provided to the TAU board and TAU will make the final decision, as the venue owner and operator.
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