High profile Aucklanders weigh in on Eden Park concert application

Wednesday, 2 October 2024

Eden Park has plenty of celebrity backing for its application to hold more concerts, but a group of nearby residents say they’re sick of the “incessant noise”.

More than 2000 people made submissions on Eden Park’s resource consent application to hold up to 12 concerts a year ‒ with 94% in support. Those in opposition appear mainly to live on the immediately surrounding streets.

“We can hear the noise above the radio and TV with the windows shut. We don’t go out due to the traffic. We cannot sleep for the noise in our bedroom. We cannot escape from it,” wrote Amanda McMullin.

Eden Park Trust successfully obtained consent for six concerts a year in 2021 but says that’s not enough. In February this year, its chief executive blamed Taylor Swift cancelling her New Zealand performance on a lack of available dates at the stadium.

For some that was a relief.

“Long after concerts are over, we are woken by the noise of concert goers wandering the streets drunk, singing and shouting, looking for their cars,” McMullin submitted to the council.

Her neighbour, Wendy Turner, agrees: “I have to wear noise cancelling headphones during concerts. Best of all, the parking wardens regularly ticket my husband’s truck!”

Reuben Barrett wrote: “On multiple occasions, I've been told I couldn’t drive down my own street, [and] I needed to prove I lived on said street.”

However, TV presenter Melissa Chan-Green said having recently moved near the stadium, she had never felt impeded from accessing her home.

“In fact, I know myself and many of my neighbours wanted those events to increase because of the positive impact it has on the suburb of Kingsland, and consequently our property prices.”

Veteran broadcaster Bernadine Oliver-Kerby suggested it was time to ignore the naysayers.

“It’s 2024, stop dragging the chain, cut the red tape and make it happen. No working groups, no consultations. It’s a stadium, use it,” she said in her submission.

Several of the residents in opposition suggested that more free tickets for immediate neighbours would go some way to tempering frustrations.

“While we occasionally receive free tickets for Blues games, we are never offered All Blacks tickets. This disparity should be addressed to ensure fairness,” Sofia Belova wrote.

The opposition camp, made up of about 100 households, have an ally in former Prime Minister Helen Clark. She suggests the existing concerts are already an “unreasonable burden”.

“By gaming the consent process with constant drip feeding of applications, and constant variations, Eden Park is all the while creating a greater level of adverse effects on our residential amenity,” Clark wrote.

Former All Black Kieran Read disagrees: “Eden Park is set up perfectly for concerts.”

Comedian Leigh Hart, who formerly lived in Mt Eden, said it was a “no brainer”.

“The positives far outweigh any negatives … The people of Auckland have spoken and this is what the vast amount would want.”

In opposition, resident Michael Jones said allowing all of Auckland to submit on the concert proposal meant the closest residents weren’t getting a “fair trial”.

“The potential benefit to Eden Park to attract acts cannot be more than the real detriment that residents will suffer here,” Jones wrote.

Multiple submitters were disappointed that American rapper Travis Scott, planned to perform on October 31, would scupper their Halloween plans.

“This is the first time in 17 years we will not be decorating our house” Paul Mottershead wrote.

But actor Kimberley Crossman wrote that her family loves attending events at the stadium.

“Limiting it to six a year is ridiculous, and not helpful for the surrounding businesses or for family wanting to make memories,” she said.

Comedian Jeremy Corbett of Epsom wrote: “Allowing a finish time of 11pm … I think it’s reasonable and puts to use an otherwise empty stadium.”

Presenter and sports commentator Toni Street agreed: “It is crucial we attract world class events that bring in money of this scale.”

Independent commissioners will consider Eden Park’s resource consent application over a four-day hearing set down for October 16, taking into account public submissions.