The Star: February 22, 2024

The Star Thursday February 22 2024
10
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Districts wary of funding stadium
• By Daniel Alvey
MAYOR PHIL Mauger’s bid for
funding assistance for the $683
million Te Kaha stadium may
not be as easy to secure as he
wants it to be.
Mauger has written to
Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton,
Waimakariri Mayor Dan
Gordon and Environment
Canterbury chair Peter Scott for
help with operational funding,
but not construction costs.
“The city council accepts that
we decided to build the stadium
and will fund its construction,”
the letter says.
But Broughton, who has
previously called for the
discussion to be Canterburywide,
reiterated that in a
responding letter to Mauger.
“We believe this conversation
about the operations of a
regional facility needs to be with
the whole region in the first
instance, rather than just with
Selwyn and Waimakariri.”
Mauger said Selwyn and
Waimakariri were chosen
because they are direct
neighbours to Christchurch.
“Their level of interest will
be crucial in any discussion,
including any potential
discussion at a regional level,”
Mauger said.
“This is only a very early first
step on formal discussions and
TE KAHA: Mayor Phil Mauger has written a letter asking
for Selwyn, Waimakariri and ECan’s help with operational
costs of the new stadium.
does not preclude any other
discussions.”
Mauger is yet to respond to
Broughton’s letter.
No specific numbers are given
in the letter, but 2019 estimates
show without any contribution
from surrounding councils,
Christchurch ratepayers would
be paying $144 on their rates
each year.
Mauger is proposing a joint
funding model similar to
the one for the Canterbury
Museum, which costs Selwyn
ratepayers $37 on their rates bill
annually.
Last year Mauger and city
councillor Sam MacDonald
suggested a levy could be placed
on users of the stadium from
outside of the city.
Broughton said he was open
to receiving the conversational
proposal, but has not committed
to funding it.
“We do not have any funds
currently set aside and have no
plans in our future budgets to
start contributing.”
He said any funding
assistance would be consulted
on with residents.
“Any future decision to
contribute or not also needs
to be put to the community
through proper
consultation to
understand their
desire and ability to
pay. This has been my
commitment to the
Selwyn community
which I have reinforced
every time I have been
asked about the topic,”
Broughton said.
Mauger said Te Kaha is
expected to open in mid-2026
and operational costs are
forecast to start in the 2026-27
financial year.
A Waimakariri District
Council spokesperson
confirmed the letter had been
received and the council would
meet in the coming weeks to
consider it.
“Currently, there is no
funding put aside or anticipated
in our Long Term Plan for this.
Any potential contribution
from Waimakariri District
would need to be subject to full
community consultation before
any decision was made,” the
Peter Scott
HAVE YOUR SAY: Should
all of Canterbury help pay
for the stadium? Send your
views in 200 words or less to
daniel.alvey@starmedia.kiwi
spokesperson said.
Scott had also received
Mauger’s letter and said ECan
staff were currently
considering it.
“We are waiting for staff
advice to come through,”
Scott said.
“We’re not quite sure
they need us to be the
mechanism to collect the
rate. How far out does that
push? Is it to Kaikoura,
Waimate, Waitaki? We
don’t know.”
Scott agreed with Broughton
about having a regional
discussion.
“I think he’s probably right,
that’s a reasonable view on
that. But what I would say
also is where it’s happened in
other areas it has been capital
regionally rather than operating
expenditure.”
At this stage, all Mauger said
he is asking for is whether the
councils will receive a funding
proposal.
“This is not asking you to
make a binding decision, only
whether you would be willing to
look at options further.”
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