Suggested Auckland stadium site surprises Maori landowners

Friday, 18 March 2016

There are numerous difficulties with the site behind Auckland's old train station, owners Ngati Whatua say.

A site behind Auckland's old railway station suggested as a possible location for a waterfront stadium is 'fraught', the landowner says.

Local iwi Ngati Whatua Orakei is surprised commentators calling for Auckland to build a new national stadium have pointed to the area east of the historic station and next to Vector Arena.

In 2006 Auckland considered building a national stadium on its waterfront, but abandoned the idea.

'There's some difficulties associated with that site,' Rob Hutchison, chief executive of the iwi's commercial arm Whai Rawa, said.

'We've been looking to try to do something with that land for some time.

'It's proved fruitless at this point.'

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The property had an 18 metre height restriction on it so that lines of sight from Auckland Museum and Parnell were not restricted, he said.

A stadium development would well and truly exceed that height level.

In addition the land had railway lines running through it and to lower or cover them was an extremely expensive exercise, Hutchison said.

Sports groups including The Warriors have called for Auckland to revisit its 2006 plan of building a stadium in the central city capable of hosting all the major sporting codes.

Auckland council's stadium boss Chris Brooks has warned that Eden Park will need a multi-million dollar upgrade in 10 to 15 years' time, and the city needs to think about whether it wants to make that investment or construct an alternative venue.

Ngati Whatua Orakei was in talks with other interested parties over the old railway site, via the council's City Centre Integration Group, Hutchison said.

The group including bodies such as Auckland Transport and Ports of Auckland works together to determine the future design of the CBD.

No-one had ever mentioned the idea of putting a stadium on the site, but it did fit with an earlier vision for the area of it being an entertainment precinct, Hutchison said.

'At the moment we're saying, 'what can we do with this thing?'.

'We're part way through that process,' he said.