Park dusts off noise barrier plan

Eden Park. Photo / Getty Images

Eden Park's operators have tabled plans to borrow $1.8 million to install a sound barrier for the east stand.

The barrier, to surround what was formerly the terraces end of the ground, was built soon after the 2011 Rugby World Cup but never installed. It may finally be put up next year.

Mark Donnelly of the Eden Park Neighbours' Association said the barrier was a requirement of resource consent and should have been up years ago.

"It needs to be done. [Stadium operators Eden Park Trust Board] sold a couple of investment properties that would have allowed it to be done so we don't understand why it wasn't done earlier."

Eden Park Trust Board chief executive David Kennedy said the barrier's installation was not a condition of the stadium's resource consent.

"There is a consent condition relating to noise from the PA system during events at the park," Mr Kennedy said.

"Eden Park complies with this consent condition by ensuring the noise that emanates from the PA system goes through a limiter."

A report tabled for today's meeting of Auckland Council's finance and performance committee, which recommends the council roll over its security of the Eden Park Trust's $40 million ASB bank loan, refers to the trust's plan to borrow $1.8 million to install the barrier.

It's expected the stadium can fund interest repayments and operational costs but "there is currently no capacity to reduce debt further [or] address major maintenance issues," the report says.