Eden Park's future: What the neighbours really think

Friday, 3 May 2019

Stuff survey finds most Eden Park neighbours are in favour of more concerts. First published May 2019

Nearly 80 per cent of people living around Eden Park support the stadium's ambition to stage night concerts, according to a survey conducted by Stuff.

Almost as many wanted more events in general to be staged at the venue in Auckland's suburban Sandringham, and most said they enjoyed living close the country's biggest stadium.

The findings show strong community support for the stadium's likely bid to seek planning approval to seek concerts as-of-right, to boost its coffers.

Only 14 per cent of residents opposed the stadium being allowed to stage up to six concerts a year, without having to go through a full planning approval for each one.

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Stuff surveyed door to door in streets covered by the official Traffic Management Plan, which kicks in when major events are staged such as All Blacks matches.

The area includes around 1,000 dwellings, with 108 completing the survey face-to-face and 121 returned forms left in their letterboxes.

The survey was unscientific, completed only by those Stuff could make direct contact with across three days of door knocking, or who chose to send back forms. It was intended simply to paint a general picture of neighbourhood sentiment.

Overwhelmingly, 85 per cent of respondents said they enjoyed living near Eden Park.

Respondents ranged from recent arrivals to long term residents.

Those who'd lived in the neighbourhood for more than 10 years made up 45 per cent of respondents, 23 per cent had live there between 5-10 years, and 31 per cent fewer than five years.

When asked about the future level of events they would prefer to see at Eden Park, 71 per cent of people wanted more than the number currently held, 21 per cent opted for the current level, and 4 per cent wanted fewer.

On their own views of neighbourhood sentiment, 56 per cent thought most of those living close to the stadium supported more night events, 17 per cent thought there was opposition, with the balance of 27 per cent unsure.

The staging of up to six concerts a year - the number currently allowed by needing a separate contestable approval for each one - was backed by 79 per cent.

Most said they would attend concerts at Eden Park, with 91 per cent happy to, although nearly half qualified that by saying it would depend on the artist.

Residents spoken to by Stuff were generally passionate in their views.

Some said Eden Park was a national treasure that should adapt to change.

Eden Park is privately-owned but bills itself the National Stadium

'I love the park and it was one of the reasons we moved here to be fair. I've lived here for 16 years, I've raised my family here, I've had no concerns with any events held there in fact I'd like there to be more, to be fair,' said another neighbour, Connie Phillips who lives across the road from the stadium.

But others said they could not image the havoc more concerts at Eden Park would cause.

'I wouldn't want to see concerts here because concerts are more than one night. Also, it brings a different clientele here I suppose. As it currently stands, I'm not that worried about it, but the future [for Eden Park] lies elsewhere,' said another resident in Bellwood Avenue.

For a fuller picture of what residents told Stuff, you can read more here.

Strength of feeling in a community carries weight politically, but the question of whether Eden Park can gain planning consents as of right, will be decided on purely legal grounds by the Environment Court.

The main stadium looks set to host 13 major night events in 2019, with up to a further five in the unlikely event of the Blues making Super Rugby's playoffs, and two more if Auckland made the rugby Mitre 10 Cup playoffs.

It has planning permission to stage 25, six of which can be concerts but each of which require individual approval.

Advocacy around Eden Park has come mostly from two local groups, the Eden Park Neighbours' Association which has been active in planning processes seeking protection from disruption, and opposing concerts.

The Eden Park Residents' Association is the main advocate for more activity at the stadium, and its president Jose Fowler, along with another member, will stand for the C and R local board team in October's general elections.

The bid for more night events would follow an Auckland Council decision in March, to provide loans and grants totalling $63 million to Eden Park, to cover essential maintenance over the next three years, and replace existing bank debt.

A detailed agreement between the council and the stadium's trust board, will be drawn up over the next year, and is expected to include attempts to stage more events, and reduce costs by working more closely with council-owned stadia.

Eden Park declined to comment on its current intentions around seek planning approval changes to allow night concerts more easily.

Previous polling on the future of the stadium had been done in May 2018 by the Eden Park Trust Board itself, but across a much wider area.

That survey, by pollster UMR, found 91 per cent support among residents for an additional 15 night concerts or cultural events.

That support rose to 82 per cent if the stadium had a retractable roof to deaden the noise.

Asked in the context of Eden Park's survival depending on more night events, 91 per cent of people supported six of the current 25 night-time sporting events being concerts.

UMR had polled 350 people in a wider local area than Stuff surveyed, and also quizzed a further 650 across greater Auckland.