Support growing for new stadium

There is strong public backing to build a stadium on the Auckland waterfront for the 2011 Rugby World Cup but serious practical and economic hurdles are likely to keep the centrepiece of the tournament at Eden Park.

More than two-thirds of nearly 200 people who sent emails to the Herald yesterday said Eden Park had had its day and a new purpose-built waterfront stadium would be a showcase for the city and the nation.

The response followed news that the Government was evaluating Bledisloe Wharf, a short walk from downtown Auckland, in addition to the proposed $320 million upgrade of Eden Park.

The Herald understands the cost of building a 60,000-seat stadium from scratch would be about $350 million.

Ministry of Economic Development officials are evaluating the options. A report will go to the Cabinet next month for a decision.

Bledisloe Wharf has lots of pluses as a site. At 14ha it could easily fit a 60,000-seat stadium. It is a short walk from downtown bars, restaurants and hotels and close to the Britomart transport terminal and ferries.

However, the wharf is also the third busiest container terminal in the country, handling 220,000 containers last year. This amounted to a third of the 686,000 containers passing through Ports of Auckland.

Building a stadium at Bledisloe would not only require bringing huge volumes of containers to Auckland from another port like Tauranga by road or rail at $400 each but would have wider implications for the region. Economic activity linked to the port is worth $10 billion and contributes to 173,000 jobs in Auckland.

A source linked to the company said "tinkering with that is risky stuff". There would also be implications for reclamation work to extend Fergusson Wharf at the eastern end of the port.

Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee has said the council would not support anything which would affect the business of the port company. The ARC owns the port company through its investment arm, Auckland Regional Holdings.

"The Rugby World Cup is vital but Ports of Auckland is forever. It would be irresponsible to agree to a proposal that seriously damages the functional capacity of the company," Mr Lee said.

A practical problem also existed with Bledisloe Wharf. The wharf, created in 1985 on top of an earlier wharf, is a mix of reclaimed land and pile construction and would need strengthening to take a stadium.

Eden Park development committee chairman Rob Fisher said the architects being used for Eden Park, HOK Sport Architecture were designing a similar 60,000 new stadium in Perth for $560 million.

"We have a site that is available. We have a site that is ready to be engineered. We have a viable, world class design, we have a business case ... It is consentable and it remains to be seen if any other proposal that comes forward will be seen to be better," Mr Fisher said

The 35,000 Westpac Trust Stadium in Wellington was built on reclaimed railway land between 1998 and 2000 for $130 million.

Speaking from Japan, Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard welcomed the Government decision to evaluate a waterfront stadium.


Building costs of stadiums

* Proposed Eden Park upgrade: By 2011, cost $320 million, raising capacity from 47,500 to 60,000.

* Bledisloe Wharf proposal: By 2011, cost $350 million (estimated), built from scratch, capacity 60,000.

* Telstra Dome, Melbourne, opened 2000, cost A$250 million, capacity 56,347.

* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, opened 1914, redeveloped 2001-03, cost A$280 million, capacity 52,500.

* Telstra Stadium, Sydney, opened 1999, cost A$690 million, capacity 81,500-83,500.

Westpac Stadium, Wellington, opened 2000, cost $130 million, capacity 34,500-38,000.

(Source: Wikipedia)



CONSENSUS BUILDS AROUND NEED FOR WORLD CLASS VENUE


John Drake

Former All Black John Drake played virtually all his rugby at Eden Park, from club to provincial to international.

And though the stadium holds lots of memories, he says that should not sway decisions for the future.

"There's a lot of history and heritage involved with that arena, but if there's a better alternative I think it would be foolish to stick our heads in the sand. I'm not that sentimental and I don't think we can be."

Eden Park had gone through many upgrades and changed a lot since Drake's playing days, but it was prudent to go through the process of looking for alternatives.

"I will be happy as long as one or the other is done to make sure we have the right stadium for the occasion."

DJ Cameron

Journalist DJ Cameron has probably spent more time at Eden Park than anyone else, attending for the first time as a child in the 1940s before his sports writing career from 1951 to 1998.

"I've always thought we need a proper, major stadium and it has to be 60,000-plus. I've never regarded Eden Park as that.

"There's no atmosphere and it's grown rather topsy with bits added and bits taken away, unlike purpose-designed stadia elsewhere.

"It's about time we got off our bottoms and got a proper national stadium. Eden Park has been a big part of my life and in a quirky way it's been enjoyable, but you can't make a duchess out of a chambermaid."

Graham Potter

Graham Potter, chairman on the Auckland Rugby Union Supporters' Club, says he and the club committee are firmly in support of the redevelopment of Eden Park.

Although the facilities have grown in a "topsy-turvy fashion, the stadium has a 100-year history and a face-lift for the World Cup is the perfect chance to consolidate the ad-hoc improvements into one magnificent stadium".

The club has about 250 members and they have backed the Eden Park changes as the best way to showcase rugby in Auckland.

Mr Potter also has his doubts about the viability of the waterfront plan.

"We missed the boat on that five or 10 years ago. Eden Park covers about nine hectares and I don't think there's a big enough footprint of land at the waterfront now."

Dick Hubbard

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard says Aucklanders and New Zealanders need a "world-class stadium we can all be proud of" because "a third of the world's population will be focused on our stadium and on our city in 2011".

Mr Hubbard has stopped short of backing either a new stadium or Eden Park, and the council will continue to process Eden Park's resource consent for redevelopment.

But he said: "We must do it once and do it properly.

"This is our chance to shine - not just for World Cup 2011 but for drawing major events in the future."

Gordon Moller

Architect Gordon Moller believes a new waterfront stadium could be built in time for the World Cup - but it's not a good idea.

The man behind the Sky Tower says that Eden Park has several benefits. The stadium is already there and the redevelopment designs meet the requirements of the World Cup.

"I've seen the scheme and it's outstanding."

The question that needs asking is whether a new stadium is good for Auckland and for the country.

"I would say it's not. Waterfront space needs to be saved as public space for the future, for all people and not just for sports fans."