September 16, 2025 • 8 mins
The prospect of Eden Park hosting more events has been met with mixed reactions.
The Government's investigating the current settings including the number of events for the Auckland stadium, what days they're held and their duration.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark doesn't approve, and she joined D'Arcy to make her case.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from news Talk zed Be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So I thought i'd ask Helen Clark exactly what's going on.
So these changing rules for more concerts, sporting events, all
the barriers are quite amazing that the number of sporting
events that can be hosted no more than twenty five
nighttime sporting events per year between seven thirty and nine
thirty weekdays. Cricket allowed to go to all ten. Oh
(00:34):
that's luxurious. No sport on a Sunday, as we covered
being allowed say, the government to host more events in
park will bring a very large economic benefit to the
Auckland region. Not everybody wants this, though quite a few.
Helen Clark formed promise to New Zealand, a longtime resident
of Mount Eden, strongly opposes the idea. She doesn't want
(00:57):
to expand the number of concerts and events. She joins
us now to share her view on the proposed changes. Helen,
welcome to the program. Eden Park constantly in the news
and you believe that they are trying to put too
much on the grand old Lady of New Zealand sport
and entertainment. So what's your big objection around increasing the
(01:17):
number of time and the amount of days that can
be utilized by Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So the government statement yesterday was a bit of a mystery.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
It claimed there were you know, all sorts of problems
stopping eden Park doing events, but eden Park has permission
now to do I understand up to twelve constants a
year doesn't do anything like that, so it's not using
the permissions that it does had to the full extent.
The other thing that strikes me looking at the statement
(01:46):
is the government seems to think that, you know, getting
locals to concerts at Eden Park is somehow going to
help the New Zealand economy. All it does is take
the concerts from some other venue like Mount Smart or
Western Springs or wherever and put them at Eden Park,
so it distributes, you know, the impact differently within Auckland.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
The Kings and the munt Eden restaurants.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Get to go rather than them, you know, whatever's around
Western Springs, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So the whole thing's a bit misguided. I am all
for a major events.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Strategy which attracts US Rugby World Cup, which I played
a big part in getting to New Zealand all those
years ago when I was PM. We hosted the women's
soccer Young Women's Soccer not so long ago. I'm the
patron of Emirates Team New Zealand. I would love to
have seen the last defense and the next defense hosted,
(02:34):
but the government wouldn't fund that. So the whole thing
seems a bit odd to me to suddenly focus on
constant Zeeden Park when they've goton permission to hold far
more than they do now.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
They say that you're not in a place to debate
or argument argue with anyone unless you can clearly state
their position. So I'll put that to you, Helen. What
do you think their position and their drive? Why are
they doing this?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Well?
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Ed Park's trying to ensure it's survival at a time
when you see the Blues already. I think going to
have a couple of games that are mount smart. I
think some of the other codes have said they'd prefer
to be somewhere else. Some have come out in favor
of a downtown waterfront stadium. Let's face it, you know
the big hotels and the beg entertainment areas are down
(03:22):
in the central city around the Viaduct. You know, we've
got amazing potential down there. So I've always and this
goes back to my time as PM when we tried
to you know, in effect funder Stadium on the waterfront
for Auckland and it was turned down by the council
at the time, which is incomprehensible. I've always seen that
the future of a sort of entertainment, major event precinct
(03:46):
would be down in that waterfront area.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
The problem is that nobody wants to pay for it.
Helen and I get the feeling that this will go
on many many years after I've been buried nominy in
my mid fifty So I'd say that Eden Park is
all that Auckland have got. It's all that looks like
they're going to have. So wouldn't you want to capitalize
on that space that's there all well?
Speaker 4 (04:07):
As I say that they don't use it to the
extent they could use it now. So Eden Park has
shamelessly self promotes.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Itself all the time.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
But you know, if you're looking at where the best
venue is un out of the it's downtown. As I say,
my government was prepared to fund one and we're turned
down by the city. I'm not sure that would be
the case now I think if government went to ang
Brown and said let's go all in on a waterfront
major stadium development, you get a lot of private capital
(04:38):
in behind it as well. I don't think the government
would be up for much at all. So you know,
we just need some bigger thinking really around the future
of Auckland. Unfortunately, Eden Park, you know, sort of long
time facility as it is, is in an area that's
a bit out in the suburbs.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's a lot of residents around about it. You're never
going to have open slather for events at eden Park.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
But down in a more commercial area like the waterfront
or Mount Smart for that matter, you would have a
lot more leeway.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Helen Clark joins us. The issue here, I suppose, Helen,
is that you can't really put major events anywhere else
in Auckland, can you, And that's where the focus point is.
And you suggest that if it carries on like this,
christ Church with Takaha is going to end up taking
a lot of these major events. Do you think that'll
send Counsel into action to do something more about this.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Not really, No, not really, because the major audience is
up here in Auckland, and let's face it, people from
from all over the way Cadoa Northland to the Auckland events. Look,
the way things are at the moment has not stopped
us getting Rugby World Cup. It's not stopped us getting
the FIFA a Young Women's event, you know. But if
(05:54):
you're really looking to the future, you would be looking
for vitalization of the downtown area, you know, helping the
major hotels down there a bit the residential that, the
whole restaurant area and so on. So the Eden Park
thing is a bit of a sideshow. Really, it's in
(06:15):
the wrong place fundamentally for what Auckland really needs.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
We've got it, we're not using it enough, as you said,
they want to use it more so the chances of
us getting a stadium down on the waterfront. We've tried this.
When I say we, I mean Auckland so many times.
It's always fallen over. What has to change, do you
think attitudeinly, financially any way, shape or format in order
(06:39):
to get something like this triggered started and completed.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
So what you need is the council to approach it
with a totally open mind. Now you'd have to be
you know, have have really your blinkers and mfs on
not to see that Eden Park has shamelessly wind and
time counselors for years to make sure their hands go
up at the right time. So you need an open
and transparent process. As I say, a new stadium downtown
(07:05):
would probably be largely funded by private sector interests, which
is absolutely fine. Look, you could call it Eden Park
for all anyone cares if that's the issue, but you're
always going to have constraints on Eden Park where it
is now. Where it is, of course it would lend
itself to in a city housing development a little bit
more open space because we were in an area where
(07:27):
there's not much open space around there.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
But there's lots of other solutions.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And one last thing, Helen Clark, and thank you so
much for your time the support that you have in
and around the greater Mount Eden community around We'll not
stopping this, but not allowing it to advance any further.
Do you speak for a lot of people in the district.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Well, look, look I speak for myself, but there's been
a long time Eden Park Neighbors group, which of long
long term residents who have stood up and made their
point in the past. I might say with a lot
of aggressive behavior towards that they hood association by Eden
Park itself so unpleasant that some people have sold up
(08:10):
and got out, and the park supported the formation of
a competing local persons organization.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
So you know who knows where it lies.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
But all I know is that Eden Park is not
in the right place for what Auclor needs for a stadium,
and that's what the council ideally should focus its mind on.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
For more from sports talk, listen lived to News Talks
they'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from news Talk zed Be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So I thought i'd ask Helen Clark exactly what's going on.
So these changing rules for more concerts, sporting events, all
the barriers are quite amazing that the number of sporting
events that can be hosted no more than twenty five
nighttime sporting events per year between seven thirty and nine
thirty weekdays. Cricket allowed to go to all ten. Oh
(00:34):
that's luxurious. No sport on a Sunday, as we covered
being allowed say, the government to host more events in
park will bring a very large economic benefit to the
Auckland region. Not everybody wants this, though quite a few.
Helen Clark formed promise to New Zealand, a longtime resident
of Mount Eden, strongly opposes the idea. She doesn't want
(00:57):
to expand the number of concerts and events. She joins
us now to share her view on the proposed changes. Helen,
welcome to the program. Eden Park constantly in the news
and you believe that they are trying to put too
much on the grand old Lady of New Zealand sport
and entertainment. So what's your big objection around increasing the
(01:17):
number of time and the amount of days that can
be utilized by Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So the government statement yesterday was a bit of a mystery.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
It claimed there were you know, all sorts of problems
stopping eden Park doing events, but eden Park has permission
now to do I understand up to twelve constants a
year doesn't do anything like that, so it's not using
the permissions that it does had to the full extent.
The other thing that strikes me looking at the statement
(01:46):
is the government seems to think that, you know, getting
locals to concerts at Eden Park is somehow going to
help the New Zealand economy. All it does is take
the concerts from some other venue like Mount Smart or
Western Springs or wherever and put them at Eden Park,
so it distributes, you know, the impact differently within Auckland.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
The Kings and the munt Eden restaurants.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Get to go rather than them, you know, whatever's around
Western Springs, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So the whole thing's a bit misguided. I am all
for a major events.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Strategy which attracts US Rugby World Cup, which I played
a big part in getting to New Zealand all those
years ago when I was PM. We hosted the women's
soccer Young Women's Soccer not so long ago. I'm the
patron of Emirates Team New Zealand. I would love to
have seen the last defense and the next defense hosted,
(02:34):
but the government wouldn't fund that. So the whole thing
seems a bit odd to me to suddenly focus on
constant Zeeden Park when they've goton permission to hold far
more than they do now.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
They say that you're not in a place to debate
or argument argue with anyone unless you can clearly state
their position. So I'll put that to you, Helen. What
do you think their position and their drive? Why are
they doing this?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Well?
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Ed Park's trying to ensure it's survival at a time
when you see the Blues already. I think going to
have a couple of games that are mount smart. I
think some of the other codes have said they'd prefer
to be somewhere else. Some have come out in favor
of a downtown waterfront stadium. Let's face it, you know
the big hotels and the beg entertainment areas are down
(03:22):
in the central city around the Viaduct. You know, we've
got amazing potential down there. So I've always and this
goes back to my time as PM when we tried
to you know, in effect funder Stadium on the waterfront
for Auckland and it was turned down by the council
at the time, which is incomprehensible. I've always seen that
the future of a sort of entertainment, major event precinct
(03:46):
would be down in that waterfront area.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
The problem is that nobody wants to pay for it.
Helen and I get the feeling that this will go
on many many years after I've been buried nominy in
my mid fifty So I'd say that Eden Park is
all that Auckland have got. It's all that looks like
they're going to have. So wouldn't you want to capitalize
on that space that's there all well?
Speaker 4 (04:07):
As I say that they don't use it to the
extent they could use it now. So Eden Park has
shamelessly self promotes.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Itself all the time.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
But you know, if you're looking at where the best
venue is un out of the it's downtown. As I say,
my government was prepared to fund one and we're turned
down by the city. I'm not sure that would be
the case now I think if government went to ang
Brown and said let's go all in on a waterfront
major stadium development, you get a lot of private capital
(04:38):
in behind it as well. I don't think the government
would be up for much at all. So you know,
we just need some bigger thinking really around the future
of Auckland. Unfortunately, Eden Park, you know, sort of long
time facility as it is, is in an area that's
a bit out in the suburbs.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
It's a lot of residents around about it. You're never
going to have open slather for events at eden Park.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
But down in a more commercial area like the waterfront
or Mount Smart for that matter, you would have a
lot more leeway.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Helen Clark joins us. The issue here, I suppose, Helen,
is that you can't really put major events anywhere else
in Auckland, can you, And that's where the focus point is.
And you suggest that if it carries on like this,
christ Church with Takaha is going to end up taking
a lot of these major events. Do you think that'll
send Counsel into action to do something more about this.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Not really, No, not really, because the major audience is
up here in Auckland, and let's face it, people from
from all over the way Cadoa Northland to the Auckland events. Look,
the way things are at the moment has not stopped
us getting Rugby World Cup. It's not stopped us getting
the FIFA a Young Women's event, you know. But if
(05:54):
you're really looking to the future, you would be looking
for vitalization of the downtown area, you know, helping the
major hotels down there a bit the residential that, the
whole restaurant area and so on. So the Eden Park
thing is a bit of a sideshow. Really, it's in
(06:15):
the wrong place fundamentally for what Auckland really needs.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
We've got it, we're not using it enough, as you said,
they want to use it more so the chances of
us getting a stadium down on the waterfront. We've tried this.
When I say we, I mean Auckland so many times.
It's always fallen over. What has to change, do you
think attitudeinly, financially any way, shape or format in order
(06:39):
to get something like this triggered started and completed.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
So what you need is the council to approach it
with a totally open mind. Now you'd have to be
you know, have have really your blinkers and mfs on
not to see that Eden Park has shamelessly wind and
time counselors for years to make sure their hands go
up at the right time. So you need an open
and transparent process. As I say, a new stadium downtown
(07:05):
would probably be largely funded by private sector interests, which
is absolutely fine. Look, you could call it Eden Park
for all anyone cares if that's the issue, but you're
always going to have constraints on Eden Park where it
is now. Where it is, of course it would lend
itself to in a city housing development a little bit
more open space because we were in an area where
(07:27):
there's not much open space around there.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
But there's lots of other solutions.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And one last thing, Helen Clark, and thank you so
much for your time the support that you have in
and around the greater Mount Eden community around We'll not
stopping this, but not allowing it to advance any further.
Do you speak for a lot of people in the district.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Well, look, look I speak for myself, but there's been
a long time Eden Park Neighbors group, which of long
long term residents who have stood up and made their
point in the past. I might say with a lot
of aggressive behavior towards that they hood association by Eden
Park itself so unpleasant that some people have sold up
(08:10):
and got out, and the park supported the formation of
a competing local persons organization.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
So you know who knows where it lies.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
But all I know is that Eden Park is not
in the right place for what Auclor needs for a stadium,
and that's what the council ideally should focus its mind on.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
For more from sports talk, listen lived to News Talks
they'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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