The Wellington Phoenix will continue to play their home games at Westpac Stadium in Wellington after Hutt City councillors voted against a proposal to build a 12,000 seat rectangular venue in Petone.
Hutt City mayor Ray Wallace said they took in to account the lack of public support for the boutique stadium, which would have required extensive funding from ratepayers, while Phoenix owners Welnix would have made a significant investment.
"As mayor I pride myself on listening to the people I represent; to me that's part of democracy. I also pride myself on considering opportunities that have the potential to bring economic benefit and push our city forward," Wallace said.
"We've heard from many different people during consultation on Petone Arena and the discussion has been robust. The feedback though has been overwhelmingly similar with the majority of those who've had their say, clearly against it."
Phoenix general manager David Dome said they would continue to focus on providing a good experience for fans at their existing venue.
