John MacDonald: Out with the old stadium, or not?

I have my reservations about the Government’s new fast-track laws, because it encourages that whole “do something for the sake of doing something” mentality.

And my reservations are only being amplified with this news that Christchurch City Council staff want to use the fast-track legislation to get on with the job of rezoning the land where the old temporary stadium is, in Addington, so it can be sold to developers.

It’s not the legislation itself that I’m concerned about today. I’m concerned that the city council hasn’t thought this through enough.

Because, even though I love One New Zealand Stadium just as much as the next person, I think it would be a mistake to put all our eggs in one basket.

And I can see a time when we might actually regret deciding to do away with the facility at Addington.
Because, even though the Crusaders match at the stadium tonight is another sell-out, which is brilliant, it’s not always going to be the case.

So wouldn’t it make sense for us to keep the grounds at Addington? I’m coming around to thinking that it would.
So, what’s happened is council staff are recommending to councillors that they ask Resource Management Minister Chris Bishop to fast-track a change to the land’s zoning.

That would let the site be used for things like retail and housing. I gather it would also allow car parking and parks of some sort.

If city councillors agree with council staff and do go to Chris Bishop, and he agrees to use the fast-track legislation, that would mean most of us would be excluded from the process.

Things would happen much quicker, six months compared to two years, but only those affected by the change would get to have a say.

And you can bet that the definition of those directly affected would be pretty narrow. That’s why I think that, before the council runs off to Chris Bishop and fast-tracks things so it can sell off the land, we need to calm the farm a bit and work out whether it is actually a good idea to get rid of it or not.

And I’m not convinced that it is.

When Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine was in town the other week for the Super Rugby Pacific Super Round, he was telling me that the temporary stadium is a brilliant venue for football, because of the shape of it, apparently.
But also the capacity.

In fact, he was saying that he would love to pick it up and move it to Wellington. That’s how good he thinks it is. So why would we get rid of it?

What’s more, who has the council actually spoken to about this?

I know the rugby league people would probably love to return there. What about Mainland Football? Maybe they’d like to see the Addington stadium kept on.

See what I mean?

There’s been this assumption over the years that, because we’ve considered it to be the “temporary” stadium, it would go once the new one is up and running.

And that seems to be what city council staff are thinking too, with this recommendation that they try to get things fast-tracked.

There’s no denying that flogging it off would bring in some coin for the council. It’s got a rateable value of $6.6 million. But if it was rezoned for housing, it would be worth $26 million.

Nevertheless, is that something we should even be doing?

I don’t think it is, until we have a much better understanding of whether there might actually be a need for a second, smaller stadium, and not just the shiny new one.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from newstalksb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
This might be a bit of a what shall I
call it? This might be a bit of a spanner
in the works, or it might be a fly in
the City Council's ointment. Nevertheless, as Friday so here goes.
I have my reservations about the government's new fast track
laws because it encourages that whole you know, do something

(00:36):
for the sake of do in something mentality, and my
reservations are only being amplified this morning with this news
that Christrich City Council staff want to use the fast
Track legislation to get on with the job of rezoning
the land where the old temporary stadium is in Addington
so it can be sold off to developers. Right now,

(00:58):
it's not the legislation itself that I'm concerned about this morning.
I'm concerned that the City Council hasn't thought this's wrong enough,
because even though I love one New Zealand stadium just
as much as the next person, I actually reckon it
would be a mistake, or it could be a mistake
to put all our eggs in one basket and I

(01:21):
can see a time when we might actually regret deciding
to do away with the facility at Addington, because even
though the Crusader's match at One New Zealand tonight is
another seller which is brilliant, it's not always going to
be the case, is it for every event? So this
is the question, wouldn't it make sense for us to

(01:44):
keep the grounds at Addington? And I'm coming around to
thinking that it would. So what's happened a bit about
ground Council staff are recommending to Council laws that they
ask Resource Management Minster Chris Bishop to fast track a
change to the zoning of the land at Addington. And

(02:05):
so this would let the site be used for things
like retail housing. I gather it would also allow car
parking and parks of some sort. Now, City councilors agree
with council staff and they do get on the plower,
or they do write a letter to Chris Bishop, and
if he does agree with what they're saying, and he says, yep,
we can use the fast track legislation. That would mean

(02:27):
most of us being excluded from the process. It would
mean things happening much quicker six months compared to two years,
but only those directly affected by the change would get
to have a say, and you can bet, you can
put money on it that the definition of those directly
affected would be pretty narrow. And that's why I think,

(02:50):
and I want to find out what you think. But
that's why I think that before the council runs off
to Chris Bishop and fast tracks things so it can
flog off the land, it needs to calm the farm
a bit and work out whether it is actually a
good idea to get rid of it or not. And
right here, right now, I am not convinced that it is.

(03:12):
This is the fly in the ointment. When Jason Pine
you know, Zeb's Jason Pine. And when he was in
town the other week for the Super Rugby Pacific Super Round,
and he came and saw us when we were doing
the broadcast from the cafe on New Regent Street. He
was telling me that the temporary stadium is a brilliant
venue for football because of the shape of it. Apparently
I'm no expert, but a pairing the shape of it

(03:34):
also the capacity. In fact he was saying Jason was saying,
Piney was saying, but he would love to pick it
up and move it to Wellington that's how good he
thinks it is, So why would we get rid of it?
What's more, who has the council actually spoken to about this? Now?
I know the rugby league people would probably love to

(03:55):
return there. What about mainland football? Maybe they'd like to
see the Addington Stadium kept blind as well? See what
I mean? There are so many questions. I mean, I
think part of it is that there's been an assumption
over the years that because we've considered it to be
the temporary stadium, there's this assumption that oh, it'll go
once the new one's up and running, and that seems

(04:18):
to be what city councils start for thinking too, with
this recommendation that they try to get things fast tracked
through the government. And look, there's no denying that selling
it off would bring in some money for the council.
It's got a radiable value of six point six million,
but if it was rezoned for housing, for example, it
could be worth twenty six million. Nevertheless, is that something

(04:43):
we should even be doing. I don't think it is
until we have a much better understanding of whether there
might actually be a need for a second, smaller stadium
in christ Church, and not just the shiny new one.
But what do you think. Should the council fast track
things and get twenty six million dollars in the bank
as soon as it can, or should it stop for

(05:05):
a bit, Pause for a bit and work out whether
it might be a good idea to have a second,
smaller stadium in Christchurch.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
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