Aucklanders to weigh in on Western Springs stadium proposals
The decision to go to public consultation lasted four hours, turning ugly at times over the role of speedway in the mix, and leading to Mayor Wayne Brown adjourning the meeting at one stage for councillors to cool down.
At one point, Brown joked: 'We have heard from you guys for seven hours, I just want to hear from the public.'
Billionaire Anna Mowbray and husband Ali Williams are part of a consortium with Texan billionaire and Auckland FC backer Bill Foley that is behind the 'Auckland Arena' – incorporating a new 12,500-seat stadium, community sports facilities, a high-performance centre, and hospitality.
The Auckland Arena team has released a video of its proposal, featuring a campaign to generate public support. Ali Williams said: 'Western Springs is just crying out for it to happen.'
Sir Bryan Williams has spent much of his life at Ponsonby Rugby Club, which has teamed up with two music promoters to build a Hollywood Bowl-style live concert and festival venue, a 5000-seat boutique stadium, and a multi-sport community hub.
The backers of the 'Western Springs Bowl' have said they did not wish to comment beyond what Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) has released until the process is concluded, but Bryan Williams told the Herald last year: 'There is no alternative to fit our needs like Western Springs.'
There are no firm plans to relocate Ponsonby Rugby Club when its lease expires in 2027 but the council body that oversees stadiums, TAU, is looking at Coxs Bay and Victoria Park.
The mayor and councillors are keeping an open mind until public consultation closes next month and the feedback is assessed, but the TAU board has already evaluated the two options and backs the Auckland Arena with a new 12,500-seat sports stadium as its preferred option.
TAU chief executive Nick Hill today said the Auckland Arena is the best option, saying it is the best proposal for ratepayers financially and includes investment into football and basketball, which are Auckland's fastest-growing sports and are struggling for infrastructure.
For the second time, Brown today declined a request from representatives of the speedway community to address the governing body. He refused a similar request last October when councillors voted to move speedway from Western Springs to Waikaraka Park in Onehunga.
Said councillor John Watson: 'These people were cut out in their entirety and denied speaking rights twice.'
Brown also declined a request today for Ali Williams to address the meeting.
Public consultation is due to run from May 19 to June 15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
Fight to save Western Springs Speedway continues
Photo: James Selwyn Operators of the Western Springs Speedway in Auckland are confident they have managed to change some minds at the city council after making their case to stay open. Public submissions on the stadium's future opened this week, with the Western Springs Speedway Association taking the opportunity to submit its own proposal to maintain the status quo. It opposes two other proposals - one for a private stadium and the other for a ratepayer-funded overhaul. The association is seeking a 30-year lease to keep the speedway running, arguing the space is flexible enough to be used for a variety of purposes including concerts, rugby, football and basketball. "A lot of people aren't aware the pit gate can be removed for concerts, so it's actually very easy to set a concert up there," spokesperson Jason Jones said "There's a lot of space that's under-utilized, like the upper carpark where we feel if they did want to build basketball courts that's the most appropriate place." He argued it was the most sensible option, avoiding costly renovations or privatisation. "In the meeting we had a local basketball club and Western Springs Football, we [think] if all these groups got together that we could utilise the stadium a lot better without it being privatised," he said. "In the past we've had the speedway, concerts, and rugby coexist and it's worked pretty well. You can build on that with other community groups." Gina Harris, a driver at Western Springs Speedway, presented the proposal alongside Jones. She said councillors were receptive. "After actually having our say there was a lot of them mumbling that they wished they had known all of this when they were forced to make a decision last October... They would have voted differently," she said. Harris said it was a shame it had taken so long for the council to hear them out. "For this to be the first opportunity for Aucklanders to actually have their say about one of their biggest assets so far down the track, it's not a good look for the council." Jones agreed. "Having councillors make decisions without key facts and information is just not appropriate, so we've got submissions until the 16th for the general public and we'd like them to put it back on the table and revisit it." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
National Business Review
7 days ago
- National Business Review
Minister expects Landcorp to deliver bold turnaround plan
State-owned Enterprises Minister Simeon Brown is continuing to put pressure on Landcorp to lift its commercial performance. In his letter of expectations to the Crown-owned farming company – which trades as Pāmu – Brown noted its five-year average total shareholder return and return on equity
NZ Herald
02-06-2025
- NZ Herald
Bed sells for $151,800 as Hawke's Bay family's Asian art collection sets NZ auction record
Clockwise from top left, a Chinese early-mid Qing Dynasty huanghuali four-post official hat chair, a Qing Dynasty huanghuali luohan bed, a 18th- to 19th-century Qing Dynasty old huanghuali large brush pot, a 19th-century Qing Dynasty huanghuali Ming-style long table, and a old rosewood Ming-style writing desk. A collection of Asian treasures assembled and curated by a Hawke's Bay family has broken the record for the highest-grossing Asian art owner collection sold at a New Zealand auction. The Tui Collection, sold by Webb's Auctions in Auckland and curated by an anonymous Napier family, featured an exceptional selection
