Latest news with #VenuesŌtautahi
Otago Daily Times
06-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Poll: OIA request for stadium event costs refused
Christchurch City Council's venue operator has again refused to provide financial details it has with event organisers to split the costs of events at the new $683 million One New Zealand Stadium. The Star requested under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) all reports, documents and correspondence in regards to the split of costs for stadium events between Venues Ōtautahi and event clients. The Star also asked for all written material related to contracts between ratepayer-subsidised Venues Ōtautahi and event clients. Ratepayers are funding the stadium to the tune of $453m. It is scheduled to open in April. The LGOIMA request came after Venues Ōtautahi refused to answer questions in May. Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the information is 'commercially sensitive.' The Star editor in chief Barry Clarke said ratepayers had a right to know what arrangements had been made, given ratepayers may fund ongoing operational costs when the stadium is up and running, which appears to still be a grey area. "It's all about transparency. Ratepayers are effectively shareholders in the running of the city – the stadium included,' he said. The Star has laid a complaint with the Ombudsman about the refusal to provide the information. Venues Ōtautahi receives grants from the city council to run operations alongside revenue from ticketed events at its venues. The company operates key public venues on behalf of the city council, such as the Christchurch Town Hall, Wolfbrook Arena, Apollo Projects Stadium, and the new stadium. The agency received $3.2 million from ratepayers in operational funding for all its venues in the past financial year. New Zealand Taxpayers' Union head of policy and legislative affairs James Ross said Venues Ōtautahi must be transparent with ratepayers about the split of event costs. "Ratepayers have a right to know how their funds are being spent.' He says "commercial sensitivity" is often used as an excuse for refusing official information requests. "When ratepayer money is involved, transparency must come first. 'What sensitivities are being breached by simply sharing the cost-splitting model?' Harvie-Teare previously said event clients will pay a venue hire charge to hold events at the stadium. 'Event costs vary per event and per venue based on the type of event, the specific requirements of the event and the crowd size. 'The split of costs between the venue and the client also varies from event to event,' she said.
RNZ News
17-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
'Leave them at home': Cowbells a no-no at Super Rugby Pacific final
Photo: Photosport The Crusaders don't want any Chiefs fans to bring cowbells to the Super Rugby Pacific final in Christchurch on Saturday. The final is set up as the perfect crescendo to a compelling 2025 season, with the Chiefs, the number one ranked team in the round robin and second ranked Crusaders to duke it out. The Crusaders have never lost a playoff match. Since Super Rugby began in 1996, they've gone unbeaten in 31 home finals and playoff games across three decades. For the last 14 years, the 17,000-capacity Apollo Projects stadium has hosted the Crusaders but the franchise is set to move to the much bigger One New Zealand Te Kaha Stadium, when it opens next year. In a LinkedIn post, Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said Chiefs fans were welcome, but not their noisy cowbells. "There's also the fact that it's tight. It's not FMG (Farmers Mutual Group) Stadium or Eden Park, New Zealand. It's tight. It's compact and there's just enough room to wave a really thin flag. There ain't no room to swing a bloody big cowbell and take out the person sitting in the seat beside you. "This is going to be a game for the ages. It's going to be a game for fans to enjoy. All Chiefs Rugby Club fans are hugely welcome to come and enjoy the venue." "No cowbells. "I'll be asking Venues Ōtautahi to melt them down at the gate. So, seriously, leave them at home!" Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
05-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Chch residents not exempt from stadium ticket levy
Christchurch residents hoping to avoid a potential ticket levy for events at One New Zealand Stadium are out of luck. The stadium's operator, city council-owned Venues Ōtautahi, has told The Star there will be no region or location-based ticket levy, despite earlier suggestions from some city councillors and Mayor Phil Mauger. Instead, any ticket levy will apply to all ticketholders, including those in Christchurch, who contributed ratepayer funds to the stadium's construction. 'We can confirm there will not be a regionally targeted ticket levy for ticket purchasers outside the Christchurch City Council region. Regionally targeted levies are difficult to enforce and not supported by our ticketing systems,' said Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare in an emailed statement. Mauger and Waimairi Ward councillor Sam MacDonald first proposed the idea of a location-based ticket levy in August 2023, suggesting it could help offset operating costs by charging more to people living outside Christchurch. However, both Mauger and the city council have since dropped efforts to seek funding contributions from other district councils. Venues Ōtautahi confirmed to The Star in April it had ruled out ratepayers from neighbouring district councils contributing funds to the stadium's operating costs. While a ticket levy is still under consideration, Harvie-Teare said it would apply to all ticket holders, regardless of where they live, and would depend on the type of event and ticket pricing. 'Ticket levies are standard practice across industry and apply to most major venues across the country to cover costs such as repairs and maintenance. These levies can vary from venue to venue, event to event.' Ticket levies are already used in some form at Auckland's Eden Park and Spark Arena. The $683 million stadium in Christchurch will open next April with a 30,000 capacity for sports matches and 36,000 for concerts. Venues Ōtautahi is staying mostly quiet about its plan to pay for events funding at the stadium and what will be covered by its own revenue, as opposed to city council money. Venues Ōtautahi refused to release the stadium's business plan to The Star, with Harvie-Teare saying it is 'commercially sensitive.' The Star, under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, has requested Venues Ōtautahi's business plan for the stadium. Harvie-Teare would also not comment on what aspects of events, such as security, will be funded by the ratepayer and which will be paid for by the private event organiser. 'The split of costs between the venue and the client also varies from event to event. 'The specifics for each event are specified in venue hire contracts between the client and Venues Ōtautahi and on this basis are commercially sensitive,' Harvie-Teare said.
RNZ News
05-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Stadium ticket levy gives people choice
One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is set to open in April next year. Photo: LDR / Supplied / Kirk Hargreaves Ashburton's mayor is backing a proposal to make Mid Canterbury residents pay more for events at the new Christchurch stadium, rather than a regional rate. Ratepayers outside the city won't contribute directly to fund or run the new $683 million One New Zealand Stadium / Te Kaha, but could may pay more for event tickets. Ashburton Mayor Brown said he supported the user pays model over attempts to introduce a region-wide rate. "If people from Mid Canterbury want to use the stadium, they may have to pay a little bit more - I'm happy with that. "People have the choice then. They either pay the levy and use the facility or don't pay it and don't use the facility - it's not something forced upon them. "If they put the levy too high then it will deter people from using the facility and that's not what they want, so they will need to put some thought into what the levy will be." One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, a roofed stadium with 30,000 seats and room for 36,000 concert-goers, is due to open in April 2026. It is costing $683 million to build the new stadium in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Anna Sargent Christchurch City Council and Venues Ōtautahi, the council-owned operator of sports and hospitality facilities, have ruled out seeking ratepayers across Canterbury to contribute to the cost of operating the arena. Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said they are developing a commercial model that will cover the cost of running the stadium, which includes a potential ticket levy for people living outside the city. Harvie-Teare said the details around the ticket levy are still being worked through and will be workshopped with the council later this month. It will come down to having the "system and technology to enable that to be done accurately". She said additional financial support isn't expected to be needed for the stadium's operations for at least the first three years after it opens. Funding for the construction of the stadium has come from central government ($230m), commercial partnerships, and Christchurch ratepayers. The city council allocated $453m - with ratepayers contributing through a 30-year levy at an average of around $144 per year. One New Zealand secured the naming rights sponsorship for 2026-36 for the stadium, but the land beneath the venue will remain Te Kaha and the whole precinct will be known as Te Kaharoa - the names gifted to the city by Ngai Tūāhuriri. In his first week on the job in 2022, Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said he would ask other Canterbury councils to help pay for the new multi-use arena in the city. That request was never formally followed through. At the time, Brown said Ashburton would "need to see a good business case" to prove the financial benefits of the arena in Christchurch to the district to warrant any contribution, suggesting "we have our own projects to fund." Mauger did eventually ask for help with operational funding, not construction costs, when he wrote to Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon, and Environment Canterbury chair Peter Scott in February 2024. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Stadium Ticket Levy Gives People Choice
Ashburton's mayor is backing a proposal to make Mid Canterbury residents pay more for events at the new Christchurch stadium, rather than a regional rate. Ratepayers outside the city won't contribute directly to fund or run the new $683m One New Zealand Stadium / Te Kaha, but could may pay more for event tickets. Ashburton Mayor Brown said he supported the user pays model over attempts to introduce a region-wide rate. 'If people from Mid Canterbury want to use the stadium, they may have to pay a little bit more – I'm happy with that. 'People have the choice then. They either pay the levy and use the facility or don't pay it and don't use the facility – it's not something forced upon them. 'If they put the levy too high then it will deter people from using the facility and that's not what they want, so they will need to put some thought into what the levy will be.' One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, a roofed stadium with 30,000 seats and room for 36,000 concert-goers, is due to open in April 2026. Christchurch City Council and Venues Ōtautahi, the council-owned operator of sports and hospitality facilities, have ruled out seeking ratepayers across Canterbury to contribute to the cost of operating the arena. Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said they are developing a commercial model that will cover the cost of running the stadium, which includes a potential ticket levy for people living outside the city. Harvie-Teare said the details around the ticket levy are still being worked through and will be workshopped with the council later this month. It will come down to having the 'system and technology to enable that to be done accurately'. She said additional financial support isn't expected to be needed for the stadium's operations for at least the first three years after it opens. Funding for the construction of the stadium has come from central government ($230m), commercial partnerships, and Christchurch ratepayers. The city council allocated $453m – with ratepayers contributing through a 30-year levy at an average of around $144 per year. One New Zealand secured the naming rights sponsorship for 2026-36 for the stadium, but the land beneath the venue will remain Te Kaha and the whole precinct will be known as Te Kaharoa - the names gifted to the city by Ngai Tūāhuriri. In his first week on the job in 2022, Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said he would ask other Canterbury councils to help pay for the new multi-use arena in the city. That request was never formally followed through. At the time, Brown said Ashburton would 'need to see a good business case' to prove the financial benefits of the arena in Christchurch to the district to warrant any contribution, suggesting 'we have our own projects to fund.' Mauger did eventually ask for help with operational funding, not construction costs, when he wrote to Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon, and Environment Canterbury chair Peter Scott in February 2024. -LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
