Western Springs Stadium Under Threat – Urgent! 😱

Auckland Council wants feedback on proposals for Western Springs Stadium that could see it controlled by private enterprise for 100 years 😱

Feedback is due in less than a week: Sunday 15 June 11:59pm

https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/western-springs-stadium

Western Springs Stadium History

The Western Springs Stadium area has a long history as a public facility since it was built in the late 1920s utilising unemployed labour.

It opened in September 1929 with a motorcycle speedway event, attended by a crowd of 15,000 and over the next 96 years it has hosted numerous community, sporting and cultural events – including the track cycling and closing ceremony of the 1950 Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games).

Locals will recall its use as a rugby union, speedway, and concert venue – with a capacity of 20,000 for sports and 49,000 people for concerts.

It’s been a big part of our lives and culture as Grey Lynn residents and has been home to historic music events that have written themselves into our nation’s history.

Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1979 and David Bowie’s Serious Moonlight tour, which arguably attracted over 80,000 fans. More recently, kiwi bands like Six60 have packed it out.

Our Concerns

As an organisation, Grey Lynn Residents Association is concerned Auckland Council has been railroaded into a consultation without due process or even a needs assessment, and we strongly encourage residents to submit.

Currently, Western Springs Stadium and the outer fields are operated by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), an Auckland Council controlled organisation.

Auckland Council and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited considers that Western Springs Stadium is underutilised and believes that better use could be made of it. It’s also currently running at a loss.

The 3 options being consulted on range from:

Option 1: Auckland Arena

This option will give the space to a private enterprise to build a 12,500-15,000 seat stadium on a 50-year lease, with the option of extending another 50 years.

So that’s up to 100 years of private control of public land owned by Auckland Council.

This facility would be the home of Auckland Football Club (soccer).

Note: This option shuts out Ponsonby Rugby Club, which would have to find a new home, and takes away the city’s ability to host large outdoor concerts.

Option 2: Western Springs Bowl

This option is an enhanced version of the existing Western Springs Stadium set up, maintaining a 50,000 capacity concert venue by adding a permanent stage and additional seating to the existing stadium (which is in a natural amphitheatre).

There would also be the opportunity to develop a 5,000-8,000 seated stadium.

We would like to see a needs assessment conducted for this part of the proposal and attention given to car parking issues.

This option has been developed jointly by Ponsonby Rugby Club, whose home ground has been Western Springs for decades, and a group of concert promoters who would work together to develop and manage the facilities.

Note: This option also relies on private investment but the length of the lease is much shorter – initially 30 years, with two 10 year rights of renewal – up to 50 years in total.

Option 3: Status Quo & Time to Explore Future Options

Grey Lynn Residents Association is concerned the process has been rushed but we do feel that option 3 won’t get much support, so backing Option 2 seems the best way forward.

So Why not Option 1?

Auckland already has several stadiums the size of the proposed Option 1, including North Harbour which is a famously under-used white elephant, and at first glance would be the perfect location for an Option 1 style stadium.

However, the promoters of Option 1 have said that they are not interested in developing new facilities at either North Harbour or Go Media Stadium (Mount Smart).

The last thing we need in this precious and historic space is another under-used white elephant that future generations will have to deal with.

100-year decisions about public resources should never be first glance of course, which is why we as an organisation will be supporting Option 2 which has a shorter lease and allows continuity of current uses.

Additionally, Auckland Council’s Flood Viewer shows the area as a combination of prone to flooding, flood plain, and hosting overland flow paths. Option 1 appears to involve much more paved and covered areas which may increase the flooding risk for surrounding homes and businesses.

And if Option 1 Gets the Go Ahead – Where Would Ponsonby Rugby Club Go?

It’s worth noting that if Ponsonby Rugby Club has to leave Western Springs, which they would have to under Option 1, then an alternative home ground will have to be found for the club.

Auckland Council has suggested that Coxs Bay or Victoria Park could accommodate the club but both of these parks are already used for sport and also extensively for passive recreation.

Western Springs, Ponsonby Rugby Club’s current home, does not have the same level of use for passive recreation, so is a much more suitable site for the club than Coxs Bay or Victoria Park.

We Encourage All Our Residents to Submit

We believe that Option 2 is the more appropriate of the two options and we will be lodging a submission accordingly.

For more information on the proposals, including the consultation document, and information on how to submit:
https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/western-springs-stadium