KEY POINTS:
Eden Park will be expanded by 10,000 temporary seats and transport links improved for the Rugby World Cup 2011 as part of a resource consent application.
Key changes to previous plans are the resiting of the transport hub to the southwest corner of the site, deletion of a coach layby and having temporary seating above the east and west stands.
The Eden Park Redevelopment Board asked Auckland City Council to notify the resource consent application, which means it is open for public comment until March 6.
A spokesman for Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said he was pleased final consents had been applied for and he would watch the process with interest.
In December, Mr McCully said it looked impossible for outstanding resource consents to go through the normal hearing and objection process and still meet works schedules.
He said the Government would give serious consideration to passing a law to override the consent process.
The application is the third variation to land use consents for the project that people have to come to to grips with, says Eden Park Neighbours Association chairman Mark Donnelly.
"We expected the application in August and are surprised it's taken this long to get it together."
Mr Donnelly said it was hoped the public hearing of the consent bids would be held in April and residents' concerns managed by consent conditions.
"Everyone wants this to go through quickly and we want some certainty about what's going to happen too. We are going through it looking for the details for impacts on the area.
"For example, there is much reduced car parking on site, loss of a promised public park, the resiting and reduction of the transport hub, reduced pedestrian access and plaza areas for congregating and changed access and egress down to the train station."
Mr Donnelly said residents were looking at arrangements for pedestrian flow, car parking and taxi queues. This concerned them, especially with functions being held for up to 2000 people at a time and 300 functions a year.
"This is not particularly for the world cup, but for the years to come.
"We have always been supportive of the Rugby World Cup but we need to see what the impacts will be."
Mr Donnelly said the temporary seating would cause shading of homes and if it were up for eight to nine months, including the winter, it would have an impact.
The city council transport committee has approved improvements for Sandringham Rd, including a link lane from the stadium to Kingsland Station.
The budget for the work starting next year is $18 million, including a NZ Transport Agency subsidy of 53 per cent.
