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The boss of North Harbour Stadium has urged the Government and NZ Rugby 2011 to have another look at the venue as a potential host for the World Cup final in the wake of rising costs and confusion at Eden Park.
Brendon O'Connor, chief executive of the Albany-based stadium, says the cost circumstances surrounding Eden Park appeared to have changed in the past few weeks and that alone is cause for a re-think. Meanwhile the landscape around North Shore has also changed making North Harbour Stadium a more feasible option.
"It would be prudent to undertake detailed feasibility now on North Harbour Stadium as the official back up, so that if costs or other factors prove prohibitive at Eden Park, there is a deliverable alternative," O'Connor said.
The major stigma surrounding the stadium has been its location - and in particular the difficulty driving there in Auckland's legendary traffic.
"A number of things have changed or are changing which strengthen North Harbour Stadium's credentials further," O'Connor said. "The Upper Harbour Highway extension opened last week and the Northern Busway is to open in February.
"This means the Stadium will shortly be at the cross-roads of three huge transport investments that are planned and budgeted for, unlike the extra transport costs associated with Eden Park."
Rugby New Zealand 2011 boss Martin Snedden told this newspaper recently that Auckland remained the only viable host of the World Cup final and semifinals. That would not necessarily preclude North Harbour Stadium, announced as the official back-up option in February, but he remained confident political and funding issues dogging the redevelopment of Eden Park would recede.
It is revealed in the Herald on Sunday today that a secret meeting held on Friday between representatives of Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council and the Eden Park Trust Board has cleared the way for the endorsement of a $270 million-plus upgrade of Eden Park.
However, this news will cause considerable disquiet to those who feel it is a waste of public money and not what was promised in the bid document. There is an argument that beyond the World Cup there will be limited opportunity for Eden Park to showcase its world-class facilities due to binding restrictions on its use.
However, the news will be of comfort to World Cup organisers and rugby fans tired of being subjected to third-rate stadia.
