This series will profile the people who make Christchurch tick, give a voice to the region’s diverse communities and debate how the city can best accommodate its growing number of residents while examining the issues facing the city. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION:
In rugby, after a match, we tend to take a moment to thank those who have made it possible. The match officials, the opposition, the volunteers, the staff in the kitchen and the hosts.
Yesterday was a great match, the culmination of years of preparation. A momentous occasion andone worthy of expressions of gratitude.
Thank you to the Christchurch City Council for your leadership. This decision was not just financial, it was also about the heart and soul of Christchurch. Ōtautahi is an amazing place, much better than what it was a decade ago. But it isn't yet complete. Te Kaha will do that. When asked, people younger than 25 were most supportive of today's decision, grateful that you've brought the heart and soul back to their city.
Thank you to Te Kaha Project Delivery Limited, Venues Ōtautahi and council staff for delivering the capacity for the full council to make its momentous decision. A multi-use arena, designed to the challenging brief delivered by central and local government by a world-leading designer for a fixed price of $683m is simply astonishing in a market such as the one we are in.
Thank you to those to those who have opposed the venue and forced the rigorous debates and detailed analysis that has occurred.
Without your opposition, the quality of the product that has been approved today would not have been possible. You have forced us to sweat the detail, test the design and deliver a world-leading venue that will satisfy the needs of the whole community.
Without your opposition, we may well have ended up with simply a rugby stadium.
Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge. Photo / Photosport
Instead, we have ended up with a design capable of hosting 200-plus events a year from concerts to community events. Not just a sports stadium, but something for the whole community, Te Kaha.
Thank you to the community for responding in record numbers and making sure your opinions were heard. Of the nearly 30,000 of you who submitted, the men, the women, non-binary, the older, the younger and from the various wards across Ōtautahi the overwhelming response - essentially eight out of 10 of you - was to invest and continue. Thank you for investing in the democratic process and making sure that your elected officials got to hear your opinions.
Crusaders winger Sevu Reece celebrates their win in the Final of the Super Rugby. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Thank you to mana whenua, Ngāi Tūāhuriri for bringing to life Te Kaha (our strength) and inspiring us with the name, narrative and assisting with the design and blessing the work that has been done, and inspiring us to continue.
Thank you to the businesses and staff of central Christchurch who were inspired to commit and invest in our city through the promises made over the past decade. We hope that you are still here and can thrive when those 200-plus events come to Te Kaha in a few years' time.
Thank you to the Government. Your substantial investment is appreciated. Not only will it make Christchurch whole again, but it will also ensure that Aotearoa has a high-quality stadia network, with venues befitting the cities they are located in and better prepared to host international and global events into the future.
Thank you to those who have expressed concern about trade-offs. Decisions of this size require careful analysis. Please continue to contribute to the discussion that Council will have when it reviews its long-term plan. We must be able to do this better and we will benefit from your perspective.
Te Kaha will make a difference to all of us. For the Crusaders, it will enable us to compete more effectively with other rugby clubs in New Zealand and Australia.
We can't wait to play there and represent you to the best of our ability.
