Auckland 'has too many stadiums'

North Harbour has found it needs to invest all its profit to keep its major sporting events up to modern standards. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Wasteful duplication of sports stadiums will come under the spotlight in a proposed study of the Auckland region's sporting needs for the next 20 years.

Eight councils and Sport and Recreation New Zealand are hoping the work will yield a plan for efficient development of regional and national facilities.

Strategy director Kelvyn Eglinton said some city and district councils might have to agree to contribute to something beyond their local government boundaries.

"Given the land and construction costs and people's expectations of facilities, we can't have one in every place - we need a regional use," said Mr Eglinton.

"One of the big issues we have is competing facilities ... there are not enough events to make these viable."

Upgrading Eden Park as a national centre for rugby raised the question of what effect this would have on other stadiums.

The Eden Park Trust Board has plans for a $320 million upgrade in preparation for the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and the Cricket World Cup in 2015.

Chief executive John Alexander said Auckland's stadiums could complement each other more.

"There should be dedicated roles for stadia in the future."

A regional plan was welcomed yesterday by North Shore City councillors who tonight will debate a $30 million rescue package for North Harbour Stadium.

Since opening in 1997, the stadium has been kept afloat by the council's interest-free loans of $13.8 million and guarantees for $15.1 million in loans and interest to ASB Bank.

Competition for events has come from new stadiums in Wellington, Hamilton, Waitakere, Tauranga, Manukau and Auckland City, and there have been major upgrades at Eden Park and Christchurch.

The Auckland Regional Council's Mt Smart Stadium has a new $23 million stand and is the home of the Warriors rugby league and Counties-Manukau Steelers rugby teams and Athletics Auckland.

North Harbour has found it needs to invest all its profit to keep its rugby, the Blues, New Zealand soccer and Knights events up to modern standards.

Mayor George Wood, who supports the council taking over the stadium debt to give it a clean slate, said that in hindsight one would question the need for several stadiums in Auckland.

"If you were starting today with a clean sheet every city would not need a stadium.

"With competition from Eden Park and Mt Smart, it's difficult."

City councillor Margaret Miles said that North Harbour's plight highlighted the need for a regional plan and reference for new facilities.

"Is it wise to have all these new facilities bidding for the same events?

"With price-cutting to get events, will there be enough to pay for maintenance or will the big things tend to fall back on the councils?"

Eden Park is estimated to be worth $200 million to $225 million and North Harbour and Mt Smart $45 million each.

* Clarification: That Auckland has too many stadiums was a conclusion reached by Auckland Regional Physical Activity & Sport Strategy, not by Sport and Recreation New Zealand (Sparc), as stated in a headline in the original version of the story.