Mt Smart upgrade never pursued

Warriors captain Simon Mannering could have run out to an international standard Mt Smart if $73.4 million was spent on the ground. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Regional Facilities Auckland says Warriors didn’t get back to it after 2012 meeting discussed $25 million plan.

A $25 million upgrade of Mt Smart Stadium for the Warriors was considered in 2012, but was never actively pursued.

A plan to move the private club to QBE Stadium in Albany was favoured instead.

Documents released to the Herald show Warriors co-owner Sir Owen Glenn and former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Don McKinnon, who chairs Auckland Council's regional facilities arm, were among club and council leaders who discussed the $25 million upgrade in November 2012.

A month later, the plan to "upgrade Mt Smart to a modern 20,000-seat stadium" was approved for community engagement by Auckland councillors, alongside Regional Facilities Auckland's preferred option of moving the Warriors to Eden Park.

The Warriors have been told they must leave Mt Smart when their lease expires in 2018 and have been given options by Regional Facilities to move to Eden Park or QBE Stadium.

But "in the interests of completeness", Regional Facilities has released details of discussions between itself and the Warriors for a $25 million upgrade of Mt Smart.

The parties discussed the possibility of adding $10 million to the existing $15.2 million maintenance budget for Mt Smart to upgrade the existing seating for 20,000, refurbish the west stand, complete the east stand and build a semi-covered stand at one end of the stadium.

The $25 million investment would have allowed the Warriors to play regular season games at Mt Smart with any finals and "blockbuster" season games at Eden Park. A figure of $73.4 million for improving Mt Smart to international standard with seating for 30,000 was also considered, but deemed too expensive by Regional Facilities and the council.

Mr Domm said that to the best of his knowledge the Warriors never came back to Regional Facilities after the November 2012 discussions "with a revised lower cost upgrade of Mt Smart and we have never met again over this specific issue".

After late 2012, the Warriors moved to discussing the option of moving to Eden Park and trialled several games there, he said.

Read more
*Sports stadium shuffle: Where do councillors stand?
*Warriors' wishlist costs $73m

Mr Domm said Regional Facilities used the period between December 2012 and when public consultation on the stadium strategy concluded in July this year to do more work on the strategy, which confirmed a lower-cost upgrade of Mt Smart would not achieve the same benefits as a $30 million scheme to use North Shore's QBE Stadium for league, soccer and some rugby and Eden Park for bigger events.

Mention of the $25 million upgrade was buried in the council's public consultation on the stadium strategy.

Warriors head Wayne Scurrah could not be reached for comment.

The Warriors' submission on the stadium strategy did not mention the $25 million upgrade, but stated international standard venues were required to retain and grow NRL events in Auckland.

Mt Smart: Two options

$25m upgrade
*Maintenance of existing 20,000 seating.
*Refurbished west stand (media facilities, changing rooms, lounges, lower seating).
*New, semi-covered stand at one end of stadium.
*East stand completed with new entrances, public address systems.
*Carparks sealed.

$75m upgrade
*New north and south stands.
*Reconfigured lower seats in Colin Kay west stand.
*New food and beverage and toilet facilities.
*Concourse around stadium.
*New replay screens.
*Multi-storey carpark.