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Government says Yes to Waterfront stadium

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Ripper

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Originally posted by Xtra.co.nz
10/11/2006XtraMSNThe Government confirmed their desire to have a national stadium built on Auckland's waterfront to host the 2011 World Cup and have set a November 24 deadline to the city for a final decision.

Sports minister Trevor Mallard made the announcement in Auckland on Friday, saying they believed a new stadium could be built in time for the tournament.

Eden Park, the original choice, remains in the race for the moment. The Government's waterfront plans would now be put in front of the Auckland City Council and Auckland Regional Council for their decision between the two alternatives. They had a November 24 deadline.

But the Government's choice is clearly for a downtown facility on the waterfront and it will take some major resistance from Auckland to deny that. Already there have been strong displays of support from Auckland for a stadium in the heart of the city as public debate over the issue has raged for the past week.

Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard has voiced his support for the waterfront concept, labelling it as "bold".

Mallard described the choice between an upgrade of Eden Park as "finely balanced" but believed there was better benefit for Auckland and New Zealand in building a national stadium on the waterfront.

"While either stadium could host a great event we believe the waterfront option offers the best opportunity for New Zealand to showcase itself with Rugby World Cup 2011 but more importantly to attract other major sporting entertainment and spectator events to New Zealand," said Mallard.

While Eden Park had been the basis of New Zealand's successful bid to host the tournament, Mallard said the Government began investigating alternatives when budgeted costs rose.

The cost of the upgrade of Eden Park had ballooned from $150m to $320m.

That meant a need for the government to invest more public money and had therefore necessitated a look at other options.

They had consulted Australasia's finest stadium designers, architects, engineers and construction experts in their search for possibilities.

"There is little difference between the two options in terms of costs and construction deadlines. Advice from the experts is that both could be delivered on time."

Mallard saw benefits in attracting sports and entertainment beyond the World Cup and it would enliven the CBD. The likely location was between Captain Cook and Bledisloe wharves.

Showcase City And Country

It would also showcase the city and country as a world class destination.

"The Government believes that a sports stadium has the ability to contribute to the identity of Auckland and New Zealand," said Mallard.

"A national stadium could be very much the focal point of Auckland and it's landscape ... as much as the Sky Tower is or Rangitoto.

"It represents the best stadium investment in terms of its connections to transport hubs, its hospitality facilities ... hotels and parking in the CBD and it has the potential to improve access to cruise ships."

Mallard said the facility could double as a centre for visiting cruise ships.

The concept was being called Stadium New Zealand at the moment. It has been based on the successful Allianz Arena in Munich. It has a translucent structure that can be spectacularly lighted.

The design has the ability to have retractable seating that would allow for the football pitch to be expanded to accommodate one-day cricket internationals.

The cost of the 60,000-seat stadium has been put between $500m and $1b but the Government believes part of that could be funded through the Lotteries Commission and giving people the chance for lifetime memberships. City accommodation levies were also possible.

The Government wants construction to start within a year and is willing to rewrite laws to get around any stumbling blocks.

Clearly this is a signature move by the Labour Government. When New Zealand won the World Cup rights late last year Mallard described it as the biggest thing to have happened to the country. Now he wants a facility to match the occasion.

Friday's announcement ends speculation about other alternatives like North Harbour Stadium in Albany, Carlaw Park or Mt Smart Stadium being upgraded.
http://xtramsn.co.nz/rugby/0,,12416-6547567,00.html

Trevor Mallard can go and suck SANZARs Tiny *Censored* however, I think this new waterfront stadium is the best option. The Caketin is too small and Christchurch is too cold and polluted to host the World Cup Final. While I love Eden Park, It isn't the best place to host big events, having to walk 2km's to the ground and back in a shitty part of Auckland, where the chances are you'll come back and find your car stereo missing.

Although 60,000 people is a bit small isn't it?
 
Seems strange to me. Better than upgrading Eden Park but my preference would've been for upgrading Albany, with appropriate upgrades to transport and stuff too. Oh well.
 
heres a few pictures for it..
the 1st 2 were made by WETA who did the graphics for Lord of the rings and did the graphics for RL2.
the 3rd is from Allianz Arena who they are trying to base the inside on...

stadium1.jpg


stadiumnight.jpg


0,,6547564,00.jpeg
 
Was this the stadium that the NZ RFU was whinging that they might not get because, of course, New Zealand could never host another RWC again *rolls eyes*

God, I don't know why they were so scared of the Japanese getting the next RWC, the whole voting ballot is rigged so much that you'd think George Bush was being voted in!

Still, the stadium looks nice ^^
 
Why is it right next to a dock?

Surely there must be better bits of real estate there.
 
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cf...jectID=10410343

Stadium plans in disarray [+video]

Sunday November 12, 2006
By Jared Savage and Maria Slade

Plans for an Auckland stadium descended into farce yesterday after nearly half the city council went behind the Mayor's back to petition the Prime Minister to reconsider Carlaw Park as a possible site.

Mayor Dick Hubbard said his "jaw hit the floor" when he learned that nine of the city's 20 councillors had signed a letter this week urging Helen Clark to consider the derelict former rugby league ground - instead of a national waterfront stadium or a revamped Eden Park.

"I must admit my first reaction is that I'm a little surprised," he said.

However, he rejected the suggestion that the rebel action jeopardised Auckland's chance of hosting the Rugby World Cup.

Sports Minister Trevor Mallard has insisted Auckland local authorities must reach a unanimous decision on the waterfront versus Eden Park by November 24 - or lose its status as the main cup venue to Christchurch.

"No, Auckland will get its act together in two weeks," Hubbard said.

Yesterday Mallard reiterated his threat. "I think they [Auckland politicians] are going to have to work on it pretty hard."

The eleventh-hour Carlaw bid by the renegade councillors was sent to Helen Clark on Thursday - the night before Mallard unveiled plans for a preferred national stadium development on Auckland's wharf.

The councillors' letter said there were "compelling" reasons for exploring Carlaw Park as the venue for the new stadium - including proximity to public transport and the central city, and the fact it is not in a residential area. However, Mallard said the derelict former league ground had been considered and rejected.

He said the land had already been committed for private development, and a stadium development would require "a number of hectares" to be sliced out of the Auckland Domain. "Starting again afresh with all these legal things overhanging it for a stadium that doesn't have any more benefits than being at Eden Park - it's just not a runner."

However, Mallard said green-lighting a waterfront stadium would involve a range of planning issues that concern the ACC, so both local bodies have a veto over it.

Hubbard and Lee are meeting tomorrow morning. Hubbard said while ARC was concerned with port issues, the city council was more worried about the waterfront project's impact on urban design.

"It would be terrible if we supported one option, and they supported another. I'm eating, breathing, drinking, dreaming stadium over the next fortnight."

Meanwhile the pro-Carlaw Park councillors were due to hold a press conference this afternoon in support of their plans.

Neil Abel, one of the petition signatories, said the prospect of a waterfront stadium was an "absolute nonsense".

Councillor Christine Caughey said Carlaw Park as a potential site had not been adequately investigated. She said a stadium there would be "a totally logical outcome. It won't be a blot on our waterfront, it will be nestled into the Domain".

How they stand

Auckland City Councillors who support the waterfront stadium:

Dick Hubbard, Doug Armstrong, Bill Christian, Linda Leighton, Richard Northey, Noelene Raffills, Vern Walsh

Councillors who support Carlaw Park:

Neil Abel, Leila Boyle, Cathy Casey, Christine Caughey, Glenda Fryer, John Hinchcliff, Penny Sefuiva, Richard Simpson, Faye Storer

Undecided:

Bruce Hucker, Graeme Mulholland

Could not be reached yesterday:

Toni Millar, Scott Milne [/b]

If Auckland's legendary organisation chaos coninues, Pounamu is going to need about 20,000 tempoary seats.
 
The more and more I look at that picture, the more and more I think that they must have found the dodgiest part of the docks and thought "hmmm, this could do with a Rugby stadium!"

Its a total dump! Look at it! The iRB were seriously swayed by this?!

<NZ> Er yeah, right we want to spend loads of money on building a rugby stadium in the middle of an industrial estate that will stick out like a sore thumb. Namibia fans can get easy access via being smuggled in via the container port next door.

<iRB> and what if this fails? I mean it hasn't gotten planning permission yet.

<NZ> er..well..we can..er..tack on some seats somewhere I guess.

<iRB> SOLD!

<Japan> But..but! What about our high tech infrastructure, our bullet trains! Our top quality all seater stadia?!

<iRB> sorry ol' Japanese pal but we got a..er..better offer

*meanwhile on the iRB's front lawn in DUbai the ground staff take delivery of the brand new grass cutting equipment from New Zealand*

<Abdul> *looks at the 50 New Zealand sheep* after they cut the grass...can we make halal meat out of them?

I've said it once, I'll say it again, FARCE!
 
Prestwick, that's not exactly the ass end of Auckland - it's north facing (very sunny), a minutes walk from major bars and restaurants, and ten mins walk from the city's major railway passenger depot. Views of the Harbour Bridge and the volcanic cones. Try and find waterfront land anywhere in the world (that the sun shines at - this excludes the *spit* Thames) that isn't prime.

What do bullet trains have to do with the spirit of the game?

The problem is that the Government has already commited the "full cost" according to Mallard from the budget surplus (this is equity - not bulit on borrowed money), and must account to the rest of the country apart from Auckland what spending roughly $250 per head of extra spare tax money got spent.

I have paid my two hundred and fifty bucks, I want a seat at the final.
 
When I referred to Bullet trains, I was referring to Japan's ability to hold group games up and down the country and yet be no more than three hours away from each other travel wise. I used the Shinkansen extensively when I was in Japan for three weeks backpacking and it was amazing. Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto in three hours, Sapporo in no more than five! Thats how you spread the spirit of the game! If we had that kind of rail network in the UK, I'd be travelling the 350 miles north to see Sale and Newcastle and even Edinburgh!

If it enables the game to be spread across the country and enables the fans to pick and choose where they want to stay (rather than just stay near where their group will be playing) then that enhances the spirit of the game.

Japan's bid was an awesome bid. It had everything, an emerging Rugby nation ready to unleash rugby mania among 120 million potential fans, top class stadia (which can be turned into Rugby stadiums) already built, fantastic transport infrastructure and a very warm and welcoming nation who cheers for anyone and everyone (even the English).

The vote was rigged. Japan and the rest of the developing rugby nations were cheated. End of discussion. And if the organisation for this turns out to be a fiasco, there are going to be some very ****** off looks comming from the emerging Rugby nations who we, as the ruling powers of world rugby, overruled just to pad our own pockets.
 
Oh for goodness sake wtf is auckland doing? The japs must be sitting in their gigantic flash stadiums having a good ol laugh at us, sending the irb 'look what youve done' emails. Nobody up there in jafaland seems to have any idea of whats the right way forward, the city is divided...bring it to christchurch we can make it work! lol So cmon jafa people lets get it together, we're a proud rugby nation with a 'can do' attitude and no.8 wire - we can make anything work.
 
if they are going to build a stadium like that why do the limit it only to rugby is what i want to know. they could make it bigger and have it for cricket as well. if they do that they could cover it up and have it for other events as well like concerts and stuff (i know the newly built vector stadium is around there somewhere 2 but that only holds 13-15000 aparently.

if it is going to be called aoteroa stadium, use it for new zealand sports, not just one sport!

thats my opinion :)
 
....b....r...i....n...g.........o...n.........w...a...t...e...r...f...r..o..n..t???

For crying out loud when is this country going to ever move onto better things when ppl like waterfront nay-sayers keep having their way.

This is pathetic.
 
I think its more people-in-charge-of-building water front nay-sayers :p

I don't care what the Waterfront stadium is. Does it have a roof like the Sapporo Dome?! Does it have a floating pitch that can be moved outside on a cushion of air like the Sapporo Done?! NO!

So RWC2011 is already ruined for me in that respect.
 
Oh for goodness sake wtf is auckland doing? The japs must be sitting in their gigantic flash stadiums having a good ol laugh at us, sending the irb 'look what youve done' emails. Nobody up there in jafaland seems to have any idea of whats the right way forward, the city is divided...bring it to christchurch we can make it work! lol So cmon jafa people lets get it together, we're a proud rugby nation with a 'can do' attitude and no.8 wire - we can make anything work.
[/b]
The World Cup ain't going to your shitty little polluted city, the last thing we need is the world to see a repeat of the S14 final... although it would probably make the Japanese feel right at home too see all the smog in the sky. And if we tried to fit more than 50,000 in your big shack you call a stadium, it would probably collapse.
 
<div class='quotemain'>
Oh for goodness sake wtf is auckland doing? The japs must be sitting in their gigantic flash stadiums having a good ol laugh at us, sending the irb 'look what youve done' emails. Nobody up there in jafaland seems to have any idea of whats the right way forward, the city is divided...bring it to christchurch we can make it work! lol So cmon jafa people lets get it together, we're a proud rugby nation with a 'can do' attitude and no.8 wire - we can make anything work.
[/b]
The World Cup ain't going to your shitty little polluted city, the last thing we need is the world to see a repeat of the S14 final... although it would probably make the Japanese feel right at home too see all the smog in the sky. And if we tried to fit more than 50,000 in your big shack you call a stadium, it would probably collapse.
[/b][/quote]

1) The WC won't be played during the winter months so you don't have to worry about all the smog.
2) Jade is going to be upgraded to a 60k stadia by the 2011(Last time I heard, but with this fiasco I'm not so sure)

The real reason it shouldn't be held in chch is simply because chch can't handle that many people. There just aren't enough hotels in Auckland, let alone chch or anywhere else across Canterbury.
 
New Zealand are really on track to f*** this world cup up. There's a realistic change their economy will collapse before we even reach 2011. It could be 2003 again but on a larger scale, I wouldn't rule out Japan getting hosting rights just yet.
 
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