Do they think that money grows on trees?

Forums › Sports › Do they think that money grows on trees?

WyleECoyoteNZ

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#191890 19-Feb-2016 15:44

The Warriors (NRL) and Blues (Super 18 rugby) want a new central Auckland CBD stadium to be built by 2028, so in 12 years.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/77076772/warriors-want-to-share-waterfront-stadium-with-blues-auckland-council-interested.html?cid=facebook.post.77076772

Oh, and this would be a rectangle shaped ground for NRL, Rugby and concerts.

The thinking is that Eden park and Mt Smart stadium would be scrapped, and Western Springs developed for cricket.

Quoting from the story "For me, it's the only logical outcome for the city and possibly the country. I think it will happen, it's just a case of when." Possibly the country, does that mean they're going to seek Government funding?

If this is the case, would that be at the expense of other infrastructure projects around the country?

And to scrap a Stadium that had $256 Million spent on it for the rugby world cup in 2011, are they thinking that by 2028 that asset has fully depreciated and has reached the end of it's useful life. Yeah. Right.

If this Muppet thinks it's needed get Auckland council to vote on it and pay for through rates until whenever.

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#1495748 19-Feb-2016 15:49

Agreed.

But it was a crying shame that we ratepayers have sunk money into the millstone known as Eden Park. That was when we should have had a waterfront stadium. Too bad that we continued to give life to the Eden Park Trust Board. A private entity for a stadium in a city with too many stadiums and too many political agenda. I didnt get a chance to voice my vote for whether we should have put any money into that white elephant - we'll never get a cent back.

But I would vote for a waterfront stadium - covered, in the right location, with the right facilities and the right access. A no brainer.

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#1495813 19-Feb-2016 16:55

Moved. Please use the new Sports sub-forum.

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wellygary

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#1495815 19-Feb-2016 16:56

The boat on a waterfront stadium has well and truely sailed

Auckland was offered one in 2006, but the regional council ( who owned the port company) got all precious about "their" land and voted against it,

The result was the upgrade to Eden Park,

insane

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#1495873 19-Feb-2016 19:00

My vote would be to upgrade North Harbour and build rail out to it, that way you solve several major problems in one go

old3eyes

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#1495890 19-Feb-2016 19:08

The ideal place for a new sports stadium in Auckland would have been on the old railway yard but we all know what happened to that.. Would have been like the cake tin in Wellywood and close to easy transport...

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#1495945 19-Feb-2016 20:48

It was going to cost well over 1 billion back in the late naughties. If these sports clubs have such demands, they should be paying for them too, look at the amounts the players earn, that money is coming from somewhere. The thing is that most people now watch on TV screens, so you don't really ned big stadiums. Eden park is hardly ever full. Also Eden park cost a heap of tax payer money to do up, and it should last 50 years. Having a Stadium in residential types of areas is good for those areas too, there are lots of similar examples around the world.

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mattwnz

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#1495947 19-Feb-2016 20:58

old3eyes:

The ideal place for a new sports stadium in Auckland would have been on the old railway yard but we all know what happened to that.. Would have been like the cake tin in Wellywood and close to easy transport...

IMO Wellingtons stadium was always a bit of a white elephant, not really a great stadium for anything. No roof, seats a too far from the game for rugby and soccer, and too small for cricket, although it probably works best as a cricket stadium. , but it is way underused, and Wellington already has NZs best cricket ground, the basin. It was also too small for international events, but too large for local ones. And could they have chosen a worse colour for the seats, which only emphasize when it is empty. Poor overpriced food, and poorly looked after toilet facilities during events just add to it. Also they are apparently now having to reclad it on the outside, which will make it look less cake tin like. Maybe they didn't realise that putting a metal stadium on the waterfront wasn't the smartest thing with the salt air. I think they are using a lot of glass or plastic in the reclad http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7189987/A-new-look-for-stadium-but-no-roof

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#1495952 19-Feb-2016 21:13

insane: My vote would be to upgrade North Harbour and build rail out to it, that way you solve several major problems in one go

I agree, but I don't think rail is needed. I think the Northern Busway is adequate, you'd just need to call in most of the buses in Auckland for major events (this might be feasible). It usually takes me 25 minutes to go from Albany to Britomart and vice versa.

Jase2985

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#1495953 19-Feb-2016 21:24

north harbour sucks for those in south auckland, its about a 40min drive or well and truely over an hour on public transport when there is no event, when there is one that could double.

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#1496075 20-Feb-2016 08:41

Jase2985:

north harbour sucks for those in south auckland, its about a 40min drive or well and truely over an hour on public transport when there is no event, when there is one that could double.

Yes. I always laugh at people who suggest that North Harbour Stadium is the answer. Lets have the major stadium in the middle of a shopping area with no bars, restaurants, poor car parking and woeful public transport. Even if the extended the train line all the trains are going in one direction rather than in the city where the load would be spread through the Western and Southern lines.

mattwnz:

Having a Stadium in residential types of areas is good for those areas too, there are lots of similar examples around the world.

In a well planned city that may be the case, but Eden Parks location is a joke. The residents hate it, the public transport sucks, there's no car parking and it's miles from the motorway. There's stuff all options to go for a meal or a drink before and after the game. To suggest that Eden Parks location can ever function well is farcical. It's what we've got but it doesn't make it a great option in any way.

Sam91

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#1496158 20-Feb-2016 11:39

I don't necessarily think it's the answer, but I don't think it's as bad you're saying.

Catch a train to Britomart. Step off your train at Britomart and back onto a bus at Britomart, from there it's a 25min bus trip to Albany Station, and a 10 - 15min walk to the stadium. You would have buses coming from the North as well to service Whangaparoa and beyond, as well as buses from the West. Obviously it's not that simple, but I think it could work.

Currently we leave Browns Bay at 4:30pm for a 7:30pm kickoff in order to get disability parking at Eden Park. And we wait an hour until everyone has gone after the game as well. I don't see that as a big deal, so I don't see an hour or more commute to the game as a big deal either.

As for the bars and restaurants. There are a number in Albany Village (a few minutes walk away). There are a number at the mall (not far either). Lone Star, Daikoku, Flying Burrito brothers, La Porchetta are just outside the entrance to the stadium. As well as your usual takeaway stores nearby, Dominos, McDonalds etc. You can expect this to grow in the next few years as well.

Personally, I'd just stick with Eden Park. Went to many World Cups games and it was a great experience (didn't catch public transport though).

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#1496198 20-Feb-2016 12:43

You guys have nothing on Dunedin.

They built a stadium that we can only just afford to pay the interest on the costs. And that's with some clever rates rise.

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#1497020 22-Feb-2016 15:07

mattwnz:

old3eyes:

The ideal place for a new sports stadium in Auckland would have been on the old railway yard but we all know what happened to that.. Would have been like the cake tin in Wellywood and close to easy transport...

IMO Wellingtons stadium was always a bit of a white elephant, not really a great stadium for anything. No roof, seats a too far from the game for rugby and soccer, and too small for cricket, although it probably works best as a cricket stadium. , but it is way underused, and Wellington already has NZs best cricket ground, the basin. It was also too small for international events, but too large for local ones. And could they have chosen a worse colour for the seats, which only emphasize when it is empty. Poor overpriced food, and poorly looked after toilet facilities during events just add to it. Also they are apparently now having to reclad it on the outside, which will make it look less cake tin like. Maybe they didn't realise that putting a metal stadium on the waterfront wasn't the smartest thing with the salt air. I think they are using a lot of glass or plastic in the reclad http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7189987/A-new-look-for-stadium-but-no-roof

That article is from 2012. The only thing which has happened since then is a mezzanine bar had been built.

The walk along the top is not so bad, if the weather is decent. When it's windy / raining, it's awful. They need to build a bridge over the train tracks to Thorndon Quay, as that is where a maority of the parking is (or cover / wall the area.)

mattwnz

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#1497022 22-Feb-2016 15:12

Handle9:

Jase2985:

north harbour sucks for those in south auckland, its about a 40min drive or well and truely over an hour on public transport when there is no event, when there is one that could double.

Yes. I always laugh at people who suggest that North Harbour Stadium is the answer. Lets have the major stadium in the middle of a shopping area with no bars, restaurants, poor car parking and woeful public transport. Even if the extended the train line all the trains are going in one direction rather than in the city where the load would be spread through the Western and Southern lines.

mattwnz:

Having a Stadium in residential types of areas is good for those areas too, there are lots of similar examples around the world.

In a well planned city that may be the case, but Eden Parks location is a joke. The residents hate it, the public transport sucks, there's no car parking and it's miles from the motorway. There's stuff all options to go for a meal or a drink before and after the game. To suggest that Eden Parks location can ever function well is farcical. It's what we've got but it doesn't make it a great option in any way.

You don't need parking for a stadium if the public transport is good. I think it would be a heck of a lot cheaper to improve the rail link, and build a decent transport ub in the area. Residents don't like it because it affects property prices, eg NIMBY, but Eden park has been there far longer than most people who live there (if not everyone), so they can't really complain.

mattwnz

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#1497024 22-Feb-2016 15:13

JonnyCam:

mattwnz:

old3eyes:

The ideal place for a new sports stadium in Auckland would have been on the old railway yard but we all know what happened to that.. Would have been like the cake tin in Wellywood and close to easy transport...

IMO Wellingtons stadium was always a bit of a white elephant, not really a great stadium for anything. No roof, seats a too far from the game for rugby and soccer, and too small for cricket, although it probably works best as a cricket stadium. , but it is way underused, and Wellington already has NZs best cricket ground, the basin. It was also too small for international events, but too large for local ones. And could they have chosen a worse colour for the seats, which only emphasize when it is empty. Poor overpriced food, and poorly looked after toilet facilities during events just add to it. Also they are apparently now having to reclad it on the outside, which will make it look less cake tin like. Maybe they didn't realise that putting a metal stadium on the waterfront wasn't the smartest thing with the salt air. I think they are using a lot of glass or plastic in the reclad http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7189987/A-new-look-for-stadium-but-no-roof

That article is from 2012. The only thing which has happened since then is a mezzanine bar had been built.

The walk along the top is not so bad, if the weather is decent. When it's windy / raining, it's awful. They need to build a bridge over the train tracks to Thorndon Quay, as that is where a maority of the parking is (or cover / wall the area.)

I am not sure why it hasn't been done yet. Apparently it was supposed to be done before the last world cup, but was pushed back. So suspect they are trying to get ratepayer funding.

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