Eden Park concerts: The battle over the stadium's future goes to public hearing

Friday, 30 October 2020

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

Eden Park’s bid for the right to stage up to six concerts a year has been backed by Auckland Council planners ahead of a mammoth public hearing over the controversial plan.

The council is recommending a spread over concerts, with a maximum of three in any four weeks, and with the stadium free of any major activity on at least one weekend a month.

More than 3,100 submissions will be considered, with former prime minister and nearby resident Helen Clark among objectors, in one of the biggest single planning hearings in the city to start on Monday.

Eden Park Trust wants a more certain consent than the current one, which allows concerts in principle, but requires each to go through a potentially lengthy and costly planning process.

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The council’s principal planning specialist Hayden Wadams summarised a 414-page report concluding six concerts in any 12 month period was “acceptable in principle”.

“There are notable positive effects particularly at a regional scale, in terms of social, economic and cultural wellbeing, which must be balanced against identified adverse effects,” he wrote.

The debate around Eden Park is ongoing. Residents views. First published in Sept 2018

Wadams noted the burden on surrounding areas, and that the proposal “pushes the limit of what can be tolerated in this environment” as grounds for conditions on noise levels and disruption.

“The proposal is generally consistent with the AUP (Auckland Unitary Plan) objectives and policies relating to the use of major recreation facilities,” he said.

The Eden Park Trust Board saw concerts as able to generate new revenue crucial to its future viability, after requiring a $63 million bailout package of loans and a grant from Auckland Council.

Whether it can stage concerts, will also affect current plans to integrate it more closely with council-owned facilities, perhaps taking over some concerts and major games staged at Mt Smart Stadium.

However, the neighbourhood around the stadium in suburban Kingsland has long been divided over the adding of concerts to a night-time schedule of limited-overs international cricket and top-level rugby.

Night-time rugby and cricket could be joined by concerts at Eden Park if planning approval is granted.

Supporting the concert bid are 2,966 submitters, with 10 neutral and 180 against – but the decision of the hearing panel must be based on law, rather than weight of numbers.

An unscientific survey of households by Stuff reporters in 2019, found more than 80 per cent of 229 respondents in favour of night concerts.

Clark, who has lived four streets from the stadium since the 1980’s, has been a vocal opponent of concerts at Eden Park, and told Stuff in 2019 she thought its days were numbered.

Former prime minister Helen Clark opposes concerts at Eden Park stadium in her neighbourhood.

“My view is that it does not have a future here in a residential neighbourhood” Clark said, favouring the option of a new downtown stadium, and redeveloping the Kingsland site for housing.

“Over the years we have accepted changes – the lights have come to the park – the expansion for the Rugby World Cup, but you draw a red line at concerts,” she said.

“If it gets established as a concert venue, there’s no stopping it,” said Clark.

Clark, and her witness Dr David Welch have one of the longer presentation slots, with half an hour, including a data show, on Wednesday.

Two residents’ associations have taken opposing views on the stadium expanding its level of activity, with Eden Park Neighbours Association (EPNA) less keen, and the Eden Park Residents’ Association, pro.

'This is the national stadium, it's the home of rugby worldwide, it has a great impact, a great heritage, and it needs to stay,' Jose Fowler the former head of the pro-stadium EPRA told Stuff in 2018.

The EPNA will make a 90-minute presentation on Thursday, with its president, former Auckland city councillor Mark Donnelly, part of a separate 30-minute submission on Friday.

The EPRA has been allocated 30 minutes on Friday.

The council’s principal planner has recommended noise level restrictions, monitoring, limited hours for setting up and dismantling stages, and improved community liaison as conditions of approval.

The trust board’s application is being considered by independent hearings commissioners, and any decision is subject to appeal to the Environment Court.