Weekend Herald editorial: Govt should renew Auckland stadium offer

Editorial

Last time Labour was in power, it made Auckland an extraordinary offer. A massive sports stadium would be built on the downtown waterfront at no cost to the city as an alternative to upgrading Eden Park for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It was an offer many thought — still think — was too good to turn down.

The bearer of the gift, Trevor Mallard, Minister of Sport at that time, promoted it hard and the former Auckland City Council, facing the bill for bringing Eden Park up to the capacity required, voted to accept the offer. But the former Auckland Regional Council, owner of the wharves where the stadium would stand, looked the gift horse in the mouth.

Now the Auckland Council is entertaining hopes of similar generosity from this Labour-led Government. The waterfront stadium this time might not be a monster standing over the harbour, it more likely would be located on land in the vicinity of the Spark Arena which would be ideal from all points of view. It would have the railway alongside, buses and ferries not far away and numerous hotels, bars and cafes within easy walking distance.

It would supplant Eden Park and Mt Smart Stadium as Auckland's main venue for both rugby and league under a planned re-allocation of sports venues by the council's agency Regional Facilities Auckland. That plan has not been popular with all the sports that would face a move. Cricket would have to shift from Eden Park to Western Springs and speedway would have to relinquish the Springs for Waikaraka Park or possibly Mt Smart. Rugby and league, too, would have mixed feelings about forsaking their familiar stadiums.

Eden Park is associated with Auckland and New Zealand rugby everywhere in the world where the game is played. Its brand is so well known that it should perhaps be transferred to a replacement in the city centre. NZ Rugby might also be concerned that a replacement stadium is unlikely to be as large as today's Eden Park. But the enlarged venue is filled only for the best test matches, once or twice a year. Super Rugby and provincial match crowds look sparse on television. For that reason, and the economics of stadiums rarely used to capacity, most new venues are smaller these days.

That would obviously be a problem when next New Zealand wants to host the Rugby World Cup but a country of our size would struggle to get the event in any case. Even with a 60,000-seat stadium, the International Rugby Board had to lower its revenue expectations for the 2011 event and made it clear it would be reluctant to do so again.

So there is not much reason to retain Eden Park except sentiment. Even its defenders would concede it is in the wrong place. And while its grandstands are grand enough, they do not stand together well. It lacks atmosphere unless it is full. A well designed central city stadium could quickly be taken to the city's heart.

A sale of Eden Park's prime real estate would help pay for a better sited stadium but sponsorship or public money would also be needed. The Government is going to pay for a covered stadium in Christchurch, it might be persuaded to contribute to a national stadium in Auckland too.