Attributable to Councillor Shane Henderson, Chair of the Stadium Venues Working Group:
The recommendation of the Stadium Venues Working Group was presented to Auckland Council’s Governing Body meeting on Thursday 30 May.
The recommendation to move forward with a feasibility study was carried twenty to one by the council’s Governing Body for the Eden Park 2.1 (Eden Park Trust) and Te Tōangaroa/Quay Park (Te Tōangaroa Consortium) options to be assessed against the status quo. Both bidders have been invited to complete their feasibility studies within a 6 month timeframe, at their own expense.
This week, we’ve passed a milestone and we’re now going to move forward to a feasibility study to look more closely at the future of a city stadium for Auckland.
Over the last few months, our Working Group took on the goal of exploring matters relating to Auckland stadium venues, and specifically to create a structured process for the numerous unsolicited proposals the council was receiving to build a “national stadium” in Auckland. The council was clear that this was not a council-initiated or funded project.
As part of this process, we initiated an expression of interest callout to the open market. Submitters were asked to present options for a national stadium that could be delivered at little to no cost to ratepayers, while providing a vision for a world-class future-proof multi-purpose main stadium that will deliver economic benefits for Aucklanders.
The four shortlisted options demonstrated innovative ideas and a strong dedication to Tāmaki Makaurau and the unique qualities of Aotearoa, showcasing the calibre and vision needed for a major civic space like this.
Using advice from an independent consultant, the working group has thoroughly evaluated the proposals and agreed on our recommendation for the way forward.
Our approach ensured we had the necessary expertise in stadium operations in the room, as well as the expertise on public opinion we had from the councillors on the working group.
The process so far balances the need to move swiftly so we can provide certainty for the participants in the process, while also ensuring any decisions are informed by strong expert input.
We have informed the unsuccessful submitters of this decision and I thank them for their innovative solutions and valuable input into this process.
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