Not a ‘big money pit’: council subsidies no longer needed for Christchurch stadium
Monday, 14 April 2025
A year out from its official opening, the agency that will run Christchurch’s new stadium is so bullish about its prospects it says it won’t need $6 million of subsidies from the city council.
Venues Ōtautahi (VŌ) is also predicting One NZ Te Kaha stadium to drive a healthy increase in events from 395 in 2024-25 to 550 by 2027-28 across all its venues and almost doubling attendance from 500,000 to 900,000.
The numbers appear in VŌ’s draft statement of intent on the stadium, which it will present to a Christchurch City Council briefing on Tuesday. Its recent draft annual plan accounted for a $3m operating grant from the council for 2026-27 and the same for 2027-28.
“Bringing [the stadium] into VŌ’s operations is expected to provide operating efficiencies and improved revenues to VŌ relative to the business case that has reduced the need for council operating grants,” the statement said.
Chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the need for subsidies was based on old financial modelling. A small operating surplus was forecast across VŌ’s venues for 2025-27 and 2026-27, she said, before the agency should break even in 2027-28.
The new stadium had a budget of $683m, $200m of which came from central government. The rest was covered by Christchurch ratepayers and currently cost households $144 on average per year.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger and members of lead contractor BESIX Watpac led a tour of the nearly-complete stadium on Monday. Mauger was happy the project remained on time and on budget. A profit of even $1 would be a bonus.
“That’s break even and I would love that because a lot of people are saying it's a great big money pit, and you're gonna lose money,” he said.
Mauger said he heard from VŌ that customers were “lining up” to use the venue once it opens.
He was unsure what entertainment or sports events might be confirmed, and would not be drawn on a preference. Any interest was going to be “good for Christchurch”, he said.
The grass turf is being grown off site and due to be laid later this year. Completing the roof and making the entire structure watertight was the priority for staff right now.
From the inside, the tiers of concrete slabs waiting for their seats and patrons feels overwhelming.
Viewed from the also unfinished food and drink vendor sites, the stadium itself resembles a large pit.
“If you go to Dunedin for a game and you go for a beer…and you hear this big roar, you can’t see back to the field,” said Brian Hayes, BESIX Watpac construction director. At Te Kaha, a concourse in the southern and eastern stands lets fans see the action whole queueing for food and drink.
Joining Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin as only the second fully enclosed stadium in the world with a natural grass pitch would be “something special”, said BESIX Watpac chief executive Mark Baker.
The roof north of the 22m line on a rugby field will be translucent letting in crucial sunlight to help the grass grow. This will be further aided by specially-designed ventilation, glazing and grow lights through the winter months.
The two big screens for opposite corners of the arena were due to arrive this week.
Christchurch City Council project director Kent Summerfield said there would be no bad seats in the house. Every section would be “close to the action”.
Where the horses will emerge from during Crusaders games is still to be decided, as is where to park your car if you decide to drive to the stadium.
The Christchurch Bus Interchange is a seven-minute walk from the stadium. Mauger wants a contingent of free buses getting people into the stadium from areas such as Hornby or by The Palms for big events, similar to the free shuttles on offer for ticket holders when SailGP was in Christchurch.
“I've been to Melbourne to the Formula One Grand Prix and man, do they know how to move people around,” he said. “We've got to follow what they do and learn from them.”
Major roadworks around the stadium are due to wrap up from next month with final layers of asphalt being laid.
The final layer was completed on Barbadoes St last week and Tuam St is now under way. Madras St would follow once new cobblestones were installed at the intersections. Motorists would notice a reduction in traffic management measures from late May.
Minor works including line marking, footpath paving, landscaping and traffic light commissioning will continue into the spring.
Stadium by the numbers:
25,000 permanent seats, which can increase to 30,000 for sports matches with temporary seating and a maximum capacity of about 37,000 for concerts and other events.
23 corporate suites.
900 people that can be hosted standing in its large function room.
32,700 cubic metres of concrete and 16,300 tonnes of steel.
600km of cabling.
22,000 sheets of Gib inside; 11,500 square metres of steel sheeting and 1100 glass panes outside.
2780 people put in more than 1.7m work hours since April 2022.
One year until opening.