The future of Mt Smart Stadium and North Harbour stadiums is up in the air with the head of Auckland Council's new sporting and economic agency saying the city only needs one rectangular football stadium.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is not convinced an earlier plan by the council’s event arm Tātaki Auckland Unlimited to demolish North Harbour and sell the surrounding land to invest in other stadium assets is the way to go.
The mayor described the 25,000-seat stadium as a loss-making “white elephant” and is putting forward two options to redevelop the North Harbour Stadium and Domain precinct in the new 10-year budget.
The first option is to keep the existing stadium and spend $35 million to maintain and operate it over the next decade while looking at improving its operating model.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is putting forward options for the future of North Harbour Stadium in the new 10-year budget. Photo / Michael Craig
The second option is to do away with the main stadium and replace it with one offering up to 8000 seats with additional capacity if needed.
This would be funded by using the $35m in the pot for North Harbour Stadium and selling some land in the wider stadium precinct.
Some of the money would also go towards a new indoor arena for basketball and other sports, and the existing playing fields in the 23ha precinct would be kept.
Brown said the second option means North Shore residents get something better out of what they already have and it should be for the community to decide if that’s what they want.
Previously, North Harbour Rugby chief executive Adrian Donald said the current stadium was probably no longer fit for purpose, made big losses each year, needed serious investments for things such as a new roof costing up to $10 million, and had seismic issues.
If the stadium was replaced, Donald said it was important North Harbour Rugby had a facility and a home with the option of seating for 6000 to 8000 spectators. NPC games typically attracted between 2500 and 3000 fans, with more attending semifinal matches.
He said the last time North Harbour Stadium was sold out was 32,000 spectators for the All Blacks match against South Africa in 2017.
North Harbour Stadium hosted the All Blacks versus Springboks test match in 2017.
North Harbour Stadium opened in 1997 at a cost of $41m and has hosted international fixtures in rugby, football, baseball and other sports. More recently it was home to the Auckland Tuatara team, which competed in the Australian Baseball League before going into liquidation in April this year.
Harbour Sport chief executive Mike Bishop is not keen on Brown’s latest proposal, saying it does not go far enough in finding a solution that suits the people of the North Shore.
North Harbour Stadium had been poorly managed to the point where it was not used enough, maintenance was not being kept up to scratch, and it was becoming too costly to use, said Bishop.
Auckland councillor John Watson. Photo / Nick Reed
“Those things need to be addressed… to meet the needs of the North Shore/North Harbour community.
“The current stadium and stadium footprint should remain,” said Bishop, because it was largely fundraised, developed and managed by North Shore people and that legacy should be cherished.
Albany councillor John Watson said Brown’s latest proposal would be “the kiss of death” for North Harbour Stadium, which could no longer attract international events due to inept management over recent years.
Building a “suburban ground” of up to 8000 seats removes the possibility of attracting international sports, events and concerts for the fastest-growing area in Auckland approaching half a million people, he said.
Upper Harbour Local Board chairwoman Anna Atkinson said the latest proposal is so much better than what was mooted earlier.
She was not certain if an 8000-seat stadium is the right size, but said that should be determined by having a fit for purpose stadium and precinct that suits a variety of sports, community use and concerts.
“I can’t wait to see a vibrant stadium that is well used and well managedagain,” Atkinson said.
Bernard Orsman is an Auckland-based reporter who has been covering local government and transport since 1998. He joined the Herald in 1990 and worked in the parliamentary press gallery for six years.
