KEY POINTS:
National's "Bob the Builder" Clarkson has drawn up his own cost estimate for Auckland's proposed waterfront stadium, and warns the project will balloon out to as much as $1.5 billion.
The Tauranga MP - who built the 20,000-seat Baypark stadium - is concerned that the Government has seriously underestimated the cost of its Auckland waterfront plan.
"This is a rort waiting to happen," he said.
Mr Clarkson came up with estimates for the waterfront project after speaking with contractors and others in the construction industry, as well as using his own stadium building experience.
He yesterday outlined 10 costs that total almost $1.5 billion.
The Government's estimate so far is $500 million.
The largest item in Mr Clarkson's list is a stadium price of $650 million.
He then budgets $50 million for relocating a container terminal or paying the Port of Auckland for lost business.
An additional $100 million is factored in for land cost, because Mr Clarkson argues that, even if the land is transferred for free, it still has a fair value.
Inflation costs over the building period are estimated at $160 million, while Mr Clarkson has also allowed $140 million for shift work and overtime costs incurred because the job will be done 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The remaining costs are put down to road/rail/bus or access for vehicles, up-front costs such as plans, a cost for the platform foundation, money paid to Eden Park as a settlement for the redesign efforts it has already made, and a relatively small amount for resource consent costs.
Mr Clarkson said that, outside that, there could also be Maori claims on the stadium site.
"I am very uneasy about the new port stadium," he said. "The only way the port stadium could be built on time is by throwing dollars at it."
