Trust hands over stadium to council agency

Thursday, 27 March 2014

Fulltime is being blown on the trust that runs North Shore's sporting stadium.

The facility's name is changing ito QBE Stadium and it will soon be part of the council controlled organisation Regional Facilities Auckland.

The change could see the stadium hosting Blues and Warriors games and more major events in one of the country's fastest growing areas.

The stadium trust will become the second on the Shore this year to come under RFA's control after it rescued the financially troubled Bruce Mason Centre.

North Harbour Stadium Trust chairman Reno Wijnstok says its fields have just undergone a major upgrade and it is in a sound financial position.

Mr Wijnstok says the RFA has the resources to secure major events for the stadium.

The trust, set up in 1995 to establish the stadium, has been in negotiations for three years with RFA and is satisfied it will be in good hands, he says.

Mr Wijnstok says the move will help end parochial battles for events.

QBE Stadium has around 19,000 seats and Mr Wijnstok hopes rugby and league crowds that rattle around the big Eden Park venue will soon come to Albany.

High performance training will be among the key roles for the stadium and Mr Wijnstok would like to see teams like the Blues making use of its facilities.

North Harbour is part of the Blues franchise and the stadium 'should no longer be home of the enemy', Mr Wijnstok says.

He would like to see the RFA take over running the stadium by the end of this month.

There are exciting times already ahead for the stadium when it hosts young rugby and football events in the IRB Under 20 this year and the FIFA Under 20 in 2015.

A new aquatic and fitness centre facility is also due to open in 2016.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the stadium's new name. It will be known as the QBE Stadium.