Brian Rudman: We're big, so we need to think big

Photo / Paul Estcourt

The Auckland Super City is the biggest local authority in Australasia, with a $3 billion budget and assets worth $29 billion.

It is home to about one-third of New Zealand's population.

But unfortunately, several politicians are still displaying the timidity of small-town borough councillors.

On Wednesday, the Auckland Theatre Company presented councillors with its plans for a $40 million theatre complex at the old Tank Farm Wynyard Quarter.

It fits perfectly with the Waterfront Development Agency's mission to turn the area into "Auckland's Playground" by creating a vibrant and dynamic destination for visitors.

The business case assessment recognised a number of benefits, such as attracting large numbers of people, stimulating the "after-five economy" in the area and assisting the regeneration of the Wynyard Quarter.

Creating this world-class, purpose-built venue would also bring social, cultural and economic benefits for the community.

All of that for no money now, just a commitment from Auckland Council to contribute $10 million over two years, starting mid-2012, subject to all the due diligence checks and guarantees that other finance was arranged, that councils require.

Instead of embracing the project with welcoming arms, councillors prodded it suspiciously with their walking sticks, then after much tutting, voted by the narrowest of margins - nine to eight - to refer it back to themselves for further cogitation at the end of the month.

It was hardly an auspicious start to realising the mayor's vision of transforming Auckland into "the world's most liveable city".

In front of them was an updated version of the Professional Performing Arts Venue Study prepared for Auckland City by Howarth HTL in 2008.

It said the "highest and most urgent priority" was a new 600-seat theatre in the central city, and that the proposed ATC Theatre, to be built in association with the new ASB Bank headquarters, fitted the bill.

The plan is for ATC to build a 600-seat theatre beside the bank building, while the ASB would construct and pay for a 200-seat theatre, a foyer and a bar space, the whole complex to be managed by the theatre company. ATC has potential sponsors and donors, but needs a commitment of $10 million from Auckland Council to secure pledges from other funders.

If councillors turn their backs on the request, the need won't disappear. It'll just cost a lot more than $10 million to solve next time round.

As for Mayor Len Brown's latest plea in favour of restoring the St James Theatre, it's unlikely his call for another "urgent report" is going to halt the rot.

He seems disappointed that the Howarth report did not come to the rescue. But that wasn't the report's job. It was a venue supply and demand survey. It came to the conclusion a refurbished St James venue could meet a medium to long-term need for a 1500-seater opera-ballet venue.

The complication is that the St James is primarily an urgent heritage issue, and needs a place on the "to do" list for this reason alone.

To its advantage is that it can be resurrected as a lyric theatre venue, superior to the Aotea Centre and Civic Theatre spaces for opera and dance.

The council report writers worry that with the St James up and running, there would be a problem keeping the Aotea and Civic busy.

But an optimist, especially one aspiring to turn Auckland into the world's most liveable city, would say, no problems, we're a big city now.