You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
4 HOMELINK<br />
<strong>April</strong> <strong>15</strong>, <strong>2016</strong><br />
Downtown Stadium<br />
is a downright need<br />
But a smart strategy will not tax<br />
Auckland ratepayers<br />
HELPING FAMILIES GET AHEAD<br />
KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI<br />
NATIONAL LIST MP<br />
RT HON JOHN KEY<br />
PRIME MINISTER<br />
Funded by the ParliamentaryService &<br />
authorisedbyJohnKey MP,ExecutiveWing,<br />
Parliament, Molesworth St,Wellington<br />
DR PARMJEET PARMAR<br />
NATIONAL LIST MP<br />
Kanwaljit’s email: bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz<br />
Parmjeet’s email: parmjeet.parmar@parliament.govt.nz<br />
HON SAM LOTU IIGA<br />
MINISTER FOR ETHNIC<br />
COMMUNITIES<br />
www.national.org.nz<br />
Phil Goff<br />
Auckland’s biggest priority is<br />
dealing with traffic congestion.<br />
We are headed towards<br />
gridlock and it is causing huge<br />
frustration as well as costing us billions<br />
of dollars in lost productivity.<br />
That means addressing the problem<br />
will be the first call on our resources.<br />
In due course, however, we have to<br />
decide about a new Sports and Events<br />
Stadium for Auckland. Regional Facilities<br />
Auckland says that in <strong>15</strong> years from<br />
now, major expenditure of around $250<br />
million will be needed on Eden Park.<br />
In my view, spending that money on<br />
Eden Park would be a waste of expenditure.<br />
Eden Park is in the middle of a<br />
residential area, with severe restrictions<br />
on using it at nights or for concerts. It<br />
is far away from city facilities like cafes,<br />
restaurants and bars that patrons want<br />
access before and after matches and<br />
events.<br />
Surrounding streets are narrow and<br />
congested and hence transport is a<br />
problem.<br />
Auckland had the opportunity to relocate<br />
the stadium before the 2011 Rugby<br />
World Cup with government meeting the<br />
costs but the City turned it down.<br />
Strategic location<br />
My preference is for a Downtown<br />
Stadium close to facilities and transport<br />
networks. Around Vector Arena would<br />
be ideal but other sites closer to the<br />
waterfront such as the Tank Farm should<br />
also be investigated.<br />
Auckland is a global city and it needs a<br />
world class venue.<br />
The questions are where to locate it<br />
and how it will be funded. Even though<br />
a final decision may be a decade or more<br />
away, we need to start thinking about<br />
these things now. We should be getting<br />
‘Regional Facilities Auckland’ to report<br />
on them within the next year.<br />
For the Stadium to be economical, it<br />
should cater for a range of sports and<br />
activities and be in constant use. Eden<br />
Park by contrast does not, and is not<br />
even able to put money aside to cover<br />
depreciation.<br />
It should be bailed out financially.<br />
Sports and Events<br />
The new Stadium needs to be used<br />
by Rugby,League and Football. All have<br />
expressed an interest in doing so. It<br />
needs to be available for concerts and<br />
events. It should have convention and<br />
meeting facilities.<br />
Funding it cannot be a burden on<br />
the ratepayer. There are already too<br />
many demands on our rates. Private<br />
entrepreneurs like Eric Watson from<br />
the Warriors, Vodafone, and Stephen<br />
Barclay from the America Cup, have all<br />
offered to contribute to the capital costs<br />
of building a new Stadium.<br />
Naming rights can be sold. Sporting<br />
codes which use it can make a contribution.<br />
If Eden Park is sold, that could by<br />
itself bring in hundreds of millions of<br />
dollars.<br />
Central Government could also come<br />
to the party, especially if it wants Auckland<br />
to host events like a future Rugby<br />
World Cup or even Commonwealth<br />
Games (as it did in 2006).<br />
As a City which will grow to accommodate<br />
2.5 million people in the coming<br />
decades, we need to be aspirational and<br />
to plan ahead. We are, however, not<br />
about to become big spenders at the<br />
ratepayers’ expense.<br />
Thinking smart and not just big is a<br />
critical requirement.<br />
We need to start the process of<br />
working through our options now when<br />
we have the time. That way we can avoid<br />
the situation we faced over the Rugby<br />
World Cup 2011 where the decision-making<br />
time frame was too short and the<br />
wrong decision was taken.<br />
Phil Goff is former Foreign Affairs,<br />
Trade and Justice Minister and has<br />
been Member of Parliament for 35<br />
years. Elected from Mt Roskill, he is<br />
today Labour Party’s Spokesperson<br />
for Defence and Ethnic Communities.<br />
Mr Goff is a Mayoral candidate for<br />
Auckland, postal voting for which will<br />
be held from September 16 to mid-day<br />
on October 8, <strong>2016</strong>. <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Newslink</strong><br />
will bring you issues that confront<br />
our major cities and opinions of our<br />
readers and experts in handling them.
Change language