Residents irate at Eden Park no-go zone

Resident Mark Donnelly says it's overkill. Photo / Janna Dixon

Thousands of residents around Eden Park are irate about a council-enforced street lockdown next weekend in preparation for the Rugby World Cup.

A 1.5km-square grid around the stadium will be closed to traffic for nine hours from 3pm during the Four Nations rugby league test match double-header next Saturday.

Transport bosses say restricting vehicle access to permit holders in 15 streets surrounding Eden Park - Zone A - is crucial for pedestrian safety.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority admits it is unsure how the transport infrastructure will cope with the increased 50,000 capacity after the opening of the new South Stand.

Residents with road-closure passes will be allowed to enter the area through two access points on Dominion Rd and Morningside Dr.

The Eden Park Neighbours Association and local businesses say they were in the dark about the closures until receiving letters last week.

EPNA president Mark Donnelly said: "We are fully prepared for the Rugby World Cup and we are expecting that there will be inconveniences, but that will be a different situation. We will be virtual prisoners in our own home. It's a major overkill."

Parking will be restricted to permit-holders in a wider "Zone B" area stretching from the Northwestern Motorway to Truro Rd.

Donnelly said strict new parking regulations meant visitors would be turned away while the road closures were in place.

In the past residents had been able to lend their pass to visitors and Donnelly said the system had worked.

"The main issue is the thousands of taxis that turn up after matches - they would make up 90 per cent of the traffic."

Businesses in the area which relied on non-rugby clientele would also be badly affected, said Dominion Rd Business Association chairman Chris Hammonds.

"How the hell are businesses supposed to operate if you are not allowed to park?" he asked.

But ARTA rugby world cup transport programme director Bruce Barnard defended the lockdown, saying it was standard at major sporting events around the world.

"There were a few public safety issues after the last Tri-Nations test match against South Africa and we noticed a number of vehicles in near-misses with pedestrians," he said.

"We are asking the residents to be aware that we can't have drivers willy-nilly driving through busy roads." Barnard added the closures would be reviewed before the World Cup.