Eden Park concerts: Helen Clark opposes 'home invasion of noise'

Wednesday, 4 November 2020

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

Former prime minister Helen Clark says concerts at Eden Park stadium would “represent a home invasion of noise” and told a planning hearing the bid for six gigs a year should be rejected.

Clark lives four streets from the country’s premier stadium and told the independent planning commission “one’s home is one’s sanctuary”.

The Eden Park Trust Board wants the right to stage six concerts a year, without having to seek individual planning permission – a process that has forced it to drop past concert plans.

The former prime minister moved into her home in 1981 when Eden Park was a venue for daytime cricket and rugby.

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Former prime minister Helen Clark makes her presentation opposing Eden Park's bid to host six concerts a year.

“Our community members include older and disabled people, children who need to do homework in the evening, infants, children and adults who need to sleep and to be able to enjoy their homes, and others like me who work from home,” Clark told the hearing.

“The presence of the park has become a more divisive issue than ever before,” she said.

Members of Six60 listen to former prime minister Helen Clark opposing proposed concerts at Eden Park.

Supporting the concert bid are 2966 submitters, with 10 neutral and 180 against. Auckland Council planners have supported the principle subject to conditions on noise levels and disruption.

”Eden Park has invested heavily in a public relations campaign to push its case,” Clark said.

‘’There is also a clear imbalance of resources between the proponents of the concerts and opponents.”

The chair of the Eden Park Trust Board Doug McKay at the planning hearing over its bid to stage concerts.

Listening to Clark’s submission were the five members of Kiwi band Six60, whose concerts have sold out at Western Springs stadium.

Lead singer Matiu Walters told Stuff they wanted to see concerts “get over the line” and were supporting a later appearance by musician-turned concert promoter Brent Eccles.

Clark’s submission included a presentation from an expert witness, David Welch, who had researched links between sound and the impacts on health.

Welch said if people felt negative towards an organisation, it made the impact of sound worse.

“If my neighbours have a party, I don’t mind because I like them – this is a little different, being forced on people in the area,” Welch said.

Another neighbour, planner David Boersen, earlier told the five-day hearing that after 15 years living within walking distance of the stadium, he supported concerts.

“Eden Park is a piece of infrastructure built to serve our community as a venue for cultural events – like all infrastructure it should be used to its capacity,” Boersen wrote in his submission.

The Eden Park Trust Board opened the hearing on Monday, with its lawyer Russell Bartlett QC telling the commission it generally agreed with conditions the council proposed on noise limits and how the concerts would spread out in the yearly calendar.

“Issues remain as to concerts being held on successive nights – should there be limits on the number of concerts that may be held within a one-week or four-week period,” he said.