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Jade Stadium in Christchurch has been sounded out as the major venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup if plans to build a stadium on the Auckland waterfront or redevelop Eden Park turn to custard.
The Cabinet will decide next week on the premier venue for the cup and seems likely to turn its back on rugby's traditional home at Eden Park for a national stadium at the port.
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Rugby World Cup Minister Trevor Mallard strongly support a waterfront stadium to showcase New Zealand for the cup and to aid Auckland's goal of becoming a world-class city.
Since the Herald broke the story yesterday, more details on the location, size and cost of the stadium have become known.
It would be located east-west on the Quay St side of Bledisloe Wharf, overhanging the water towards Marsden Wharf.
It would be about 35m high, lower than the 50m high 66,000-seat Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on which it could be based.
Plans have been drawn up by architects Warren and Mahoney, who designed Wellington's Westpac Stadium and the Trusts Stadium in Waitakere City.
Ports of Auckland, set to lose about 6ha from Bledisloe Wharf for the stadium, could be allowed to reclaim land between Bledisloe and Jellicoe wharves as compensation.
One source said the cost was about $500 million, not the $600-700 million figure in yesterday's Herald. It is understood naming rights could be worth up to $150 million and the Government is looking at a bed tax on visitors to help with funding.
Two weeks ago, Mr Mallard met Bryan Pearson, CEO of Vbase Venue Management Group, which manages Jade Stadium, at the Beehive.
They discussed an "insurance policy" in the event of Auckland being unable to meet the commitment made to the International Rugby Board for a 60,000-seat stadium.
It is understood that Mr Mallard wants a fall-back position if the Government goes with a waterfront stadium and later runs into problems, such as engineering difficulties or building delays. Mr Mallard has also asked the Eden Park Trust Board about putting the Eden Park upgrade on hold and been told the longest it could wait is next May.
After then, it would not be possible to increase seating from 47,500 to 60,000 in time for the cup.
Mr Pearson said the Beehive discussions with Mr Mallard were of a "reasonably informal nature" and he had not been asked to provide a proposal. It was in the national interest for Auckland to play the lead role in the cup but if things did not go to plan then Jade Stadium was happy to work with Government, he said.
Jade is set for a $60 million revamp to boost seating by 7000 to 43,000 by replacing its ageing eastern stands for the cup. Mr Pearson said that was an "appropriate scale" to meet the city's needs for the next 30 or 40 years, and beyond that would be of no use.
Mr Mallard yesterday refused to comment on Jade Stadium and stuck to his silence ahead of next week's Cabinet meeting.
"A report is being prepared which looks at more than one option and I have no intention of elaborating on what those options are."
Mr Mallard said he had delayed going overseas on November 14 for three or four days but said it was unrelated to stadium matters.
Eden Park Development Committee chairman Rob Fisher said that if Auckland rugby moved to the new stadium there would be no use for Eden Park, though it would keep going until 2011.
He said Auckland cricket would need to move to a new ground and Eden Park would probably file for mixed-use zoning, demolishing the ground and setting up commercial and residential buildings.
Auckland Rugby Union chief executive Andy Dalton said the union had not been involved in the stadium investigations by Ministry of Economic Development officials even though it had expressed an interest.
He said Auckland rugby had a lot of heritage and history with Eden Park going back to the 1920s, but the same was said about Wellington rugby's ties with Athletic Park, yet the shift to Westpac Stadium had been good for Wellington.
"Certainly Eden Park is a different kettle of fish from Athletic Park and it would be a big move for Auckland rugby to relocate, but if that is the best option and one that the stakeholders require, then we would certainly have a look at it," said the former All Black captain, who played countless games on Eden Park between 1975 and 1987. Mr Dalton said he was conscious of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, when New Zealand lost the co-hosting rights with Australia.
"I am very concerned if we continue to explore various options we are going to lose time and momentum that should have gone into building [a stadium]. I have an open mind about where it should be but let's get on and do it," he said.
NZ Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs, the man in charge of organising the 2011 tournament, said it was inappropriate to comment on the stadium issue until the Government had made a decision.
Mr Hobbs has previously said the organising committee supported Eden Park as the "only live option".
Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard, who favours a waterfront stadium, said he was working closely with Government and looking forward to a decision.
Waterfront arena would be 13 storeys high
The proposed stadium on the Auckland waterfront is located up against Quay St on the south side of Bledisloe Wharf.
It would face east-west and butt up against Tinley St and overhang Bledisloe Wharf towards Marsden Wharf.
The project would involve driving hundreds of piles through reclaimed land over the wharf and seabed.
The stadium would be about 35m tall, or about 13 storeys high, and occupy 6.2ha of land. Ports of Auckland uses the 14ha Bledisloe Wharf as a container terminal and could be allowed to reclaim land between Bledisloe and Jellicoe wharves as compensation.
The stadium has been costed at about $500 million and could be partly funded by naming rights worth up to $150 million and a bed tax on visitors.
