Minister asks Auckland Council to loosen Eden Park’s ‘stifling’ concert quota

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

Resource Management Act Reform Minister Chris Bishop has written to Auckland Council with an eye on loosening restrictions on Eden Park's operations which he says are costing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

In September, Bishop commissioned the consultancy Incite to investigate local planning rules at Eden Park, which limit the stadium to just 12 concerts a year.

The report, published on Wednesday, recommended allowing another 20 concerts every year on top of that for between 10,000 and 30,000 attendees.

It warned if changes weren't made the region forfeit more than $430 million in lost income and 750 jobs over the next decade.

The government is now seeking feedback from the public and council on the findings, but it's clear Bishop is in favour of change - and he has the power to act through changes to resource management laws earlier this year.

In a statement, Bishop said he hoped to make further announcements before the end of the year.

He said the existing restrictions were 'stifling Eden Park's ability to drive economic growth and create jobs'.

'These rules were originally put in place in an attempt to balance use of Eden Park as a venue with the local community's preferences around noise and traffic levels,' he said.

'However it's important to ensure the rules remain fit for purpose and do not unnecessarily hold back Auckland's event and tourism sectors.'

Bishop said big concerts delivered big economic benefits, citing a $34m benefit to the local economy from 14 Auckland shows over the past three years.

'Tourism is already our second-largest export earner and contributes $17 billion to GDP as well as providing nearly 200,000 jobs. We want to see the sector continue to grow.

'The conferences and convention sector is also growing. Last year it grew 10% and delivered over $280 million to the New Zealand economy, creating jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders.'

The report's recommendations include:

• Enabling a broader range of uses such as markets, fairs, trade fairs, cultural, and community events

• Permitting 12 large concerts (30,000+ people) and 20 medium concerts (10,000-30,000) each calendar year

• More flexibility on timing for concerts, including permitting concerts of up to eight hours duration

• More flexibility for sports games

• Three levels of noise standards with different noise limits for everyday activities, sports games, and concerts

• Removal of size limits for conferences and large functions.