Fast track laws sought to re-zone former Christchurch stadium land for housing

Friday, 8 May 2026

Christchurch City Council staff have recommended the council ask RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop to rezone the 4.93 hectare site to allow for mixed use development.

The city council wants the Government to use new fast-track laws to rezone Christchurch’s Apollo Projects stadium, paving the way for it to be sold and converted into homes and retail.

The move will limit public feedback on the site’s future use until after the zoning decision has been made.

The 4.93 hectare property in Addington has a rateable value of $6.6 million, but in 2021 it was valued at $26m, if it was rezoned for housing.

Along with rugby and football games, the stadium also hosted a number of concerts including Bruce Springsteen who performed in 2016.

The site has housed the city’s temporary stadium since March 2012. It was built after the February 2011 earthquake damaged beyond repair the former AMI Stadium (Lancaster Park). The temporary stadium was only supposed to be used for five years, but it ended up taking 14 years for a permanent one to be built.

Work to dismantle the Addington stadium is not likely to start until later this year.

Christchurch City Council staff are recommending the council ask RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop to change the zone to mixed use, which permits a range of activities including retail, warehousing, car parking and parks. It would also have a special provision to allow housing.

The process would be much quicker – six months, compared to the two years it would take to follow normal district plan change procedures.

The Addington stadium was home of the Crusaders rugby team for more than a decade.

A council report said the fast-track process would limit public feedback to those who were affected by the change, although it is not clear who that might be.

Wider public consultation would only kick in after the rezoning was decided and during the development of a plan that would determine the use of the land and whether it would be sold.

Spreydon ward councillor Melanie Coker said the whole process seemed “back to front”.

“We should be asking what people want to see there first, not rezoning ahead of time.”

If the council were to rezone first, the future use would be a foregone conclusion, she said.

Coker said she did not have a view on the future use of the site, but just wanted the public to have a meaningful say in its future.

Christchurch City Council has yet to decide what to do with the stands, seats, light towers and other assets.

Mayor Phil Mauger has made no secret over the past few years of his desire to sell the property for housing.

Earlier this week he said nothing could be done until the land was rezoned.

Mauger said there would still be time after the rezoning for people to have their say about what goes on the site.

“We’ve got the opportunity to value uplift it if we want to dispose of it for housing or whatever.”

Canterbury Rugby League acting chairperson Janelle Riki-Waaka says the stadium site has such “beautiful history and meaning”.

Mauger said people should not be scared of it becoming “wall-to-wall housing” without a little park inside.

“The first step is to get this bit done and once that’s over the line, we can chat about it.”

Staff said the proposed mixed-use zoning would enable the widest range of possible uses, including parks and open space.

One of the disadvantages of asking the minister to make the zoning decision was that he might decide a different zone was better and the council could not appeal.

Before the stadium was built, the ground was home to Canterbury Rugby League (CRL) for decades.

CRL relinquished its lease so the stadium could be built, and is now based at Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub.

In November CRL called for compensation and a say in the Addington site’s future.

At the time, acting chairperson Janelle Riki-Waaka said CRL was grateful for its new high-quality, modern home, but it had lost income as a result of the move. In Addington, it had a bar and kitchen, which it gained income from, and it also hired out the stadium for events.

However, in late March, Riki-Waaka said the board met with council staff, who produced documents of which the existing board was not aware.

She said it was pretty clear the board at the time relinquished the lease and any claims it might have had on the park.

Riki-Waaka said she personally would love to see people continue to play on the land, because it had such “beautiful history and meaning”.

“There is so much love and history and memories wrapped up in that park.”

CRL did ask the council if it could have one of the stands and the lights to use at Ngā Puna Wai.

Mauger said he believed it was a good idea to send a stand to Ngā Puna Wai.

The council has yet to decide what to do with the grandstands, seats, portable buildings, toilet units, light towers, turf covers, other equipment and signage.

Those assets were valued at $1.5m, the council report said.