Moving homes could be easier

The Auckland Stadium reshuffle surely doesn't need to be this painful. Photo / Getty Images

Change is always difficult, often a bit distressing. But the Auckland Stadium reshuffle surely didn't need to be this painful.

Sure, Regional Facilities Auckland have had an unenviable task in the past few years but they have made a bit of a hash of it. For a start, their strategy has been far from consistent. Their first major presentation to Auckland Council, around six months after they had first announced the strategy, makes for fascinating reading now.

The "recommended option" had the Warriors moving to Eden Park while $40 million of private capital would fund a high-performance centre at Mt Smart (for football and rugby league).

It would have been highly appealing to the city's elected representatives - 'We get all that for nothing?' - who would have rubbed their hands in glee.

Curiously, North Harbour Stadium was barely mentioned. The other two options had speedway going to Waikaraka Park, which negates the need for the Warriors to vacate their current home. But there was a kicker, with the option of the Warriors remaining at Mt Smart including a proviso that "$78 million capital is required to upgrade the main stadium to 30k capacity and international standard".

Councillors would have been squirming in their seats. Frowns would have deepened when the same slide also informed that, under the same scenarios, Eden Park would suffer a "possible loss of events to Mt Smart" and "potentially a worsening of the stadium's financial position".

Even the biggest league supporter in the world might struggle to vote for that.

From that October day, the agenda was set - the Warriors needed to exit Mt Smart - but we now know that information was a bit disingenuous.

The $78 million was based on a historic Warriors 'wishlist' that included more than $10 million for a multi-storey carpark, something that doesn't exist at any other Auckland stadium. Sneaky stuff.

Later, when Eden Park refused to be part of an integrated strategy, North Harbour became the new jewel in the crown and home for the Warriors, despite having a "cultural barrier to those living south of the bridge".

There are many unanswered questions. Can a roofed stadium really be constructed at QBE for only $12 million? Does Auckland need three cricket stadiums? What will be done in a decade or two, when Eden Park still has a significant debt but needs tens of millions for a capital upgrade? And what might happen in a few years when the area around the speedway arena at Mt Smart is rezoned for more residential development? It could be painful.