Big plans are in place for the future of Eden Park. Video / Eden Park Trust
Sports Minister Grant Robertson says Auckland deserves a world-class stadium, but the Government is not committed at this stage to a new vision for Eden Park.
Robertson, whose other role as finance minister places him in the box seat to help fund the “Eden Park 2.0″ plan to transform thestadium into a 60,000-capacity sport and entertainment precinct, is the first senior politician to comment.
Robertson has not been briefed on the bold plans for Eden Park and made his comments based on what has been released publicly.
Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson has not yet been briefed on the latest plans for Eden Park. Photo / Photosport
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, who is being called upon to write a big ratepayer-funded cheque for the project, is not commenting on the stadium issue for now.
Another important participant in the city’s stadium debate, Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair, has come out in favour of the latest design, calling it a “strong stadium proposal”.
The plan, unveiled last weekend by the private Eden Park Trust, came with a glitzy promotional video and images of a new, uncosted stadium that includes three new grandstands, a retractable roof and a pedestrian promenade.
It has yet to formally go to the Government and the council, whose support is vital to pick up the cost, running into the hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more than $1 billion. The trust received $256m of public money to build the new south stand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and has held visions for grander plans since 2006.
The long-running stadium debate got more complicated this week with the resurrection of a five-year-old plan for a new stadium on the waterfront.
Under this proposal, a private consortium wants to build a 70,000-seat, fully enclosed stadium sunk into Waitematā Harbour with a floating roof above sea level, costing about $2 billion.
Artist's impression of the proposed sunken stadium on Auckland Waterfront. Photo / Supplied
The Auckland Waterfront Consortium claims the stadium can be built at no cost to the public purse in return for the freehold title on Eden Park and development rights on about 16 hectares of prime waterfront land at Ports of Auckland.
The Herald can also reveal that Auckland councillors will receive a confidential briefing next month on the pros and cons of a stadium on waterfront land that could be progressively released over time by Ports of Auckland for commercial development and public use.
Brown has asked the council’s development agency, Eke Panuku, to investigate development options for the port land.
Eke Panuku chief executive David Rankin said that, once a formal report goes to the council in July, the agency will present the known opportunities and constraints with the waterfront land, and some emerging thinking.
Eke Panuku was working across the council agencies, Ports of Auckland and mana whenua to gather a wide range of information, and met with the consortium proposing the waterfront stadium, whose plans would be fed into the July report, he said.
A pedestrian promenade would link the Kingsland station with a new entrance to Eden Park. Image / Eden Park Trust
“We will be seeking direction and agreement from the council on key elements, for example, the location of cruise ship infrastructure and confirmation of the council’s position on a potential waterfront stadium.
“Once issues and opportunities have been considered by the council in July, we will seek guidance as to which options it would like us to investigate in more detail in advance of a decision in December that will enable further work to be undertaken.”
Blair said Ngāti Whātua hoped the Government and the council would decisions soon on the various options.
“They are well aware of our desire for the port to move north and/or south and for our taonga the Waitematã to be opened up to the public,” he said.
A council source said: “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before the stadium is a thing.”
Another issue in play is talks between council agency Tataki Auckland Unlimited and Eden Park for a single stadium operator to run the council-owned stadiums at North Harbour, Mt Smart and Western Springs as well as Eden Park.
Mt Smart Stadium, home of the Warriors and the venue for major concerts, such as U2, is part of a review for a single stadium operator. Photo / File
Tataki chief executive Nick Hill said discussions with Eden Park had raised some complex issues but progress was being made for a single operator for the city’s four main stadiums, which was meant to be wrapped up by July this year.
Eden Park Trust chairman Doug McKay said the Government, council, parks and codes all needed to align on a stadium strategy and the city’s four stadiums should be quarantined into one organisation. “At the moment, they all march to a different tune.”
While there had been conversations with Tataki Auckland Unlimited about a single operating company, “it’s proving to be quite a challenging, complex conversation”, he said.
“Eden Park could easily be the landlord for the park and the park’s operating activities could be integrated into an overall operating company across the four or five major stadiums ... and then sensible decisions could be made around upgrades and specifications.”
