Louise Upston: Tourism Minister on the Government looking into changing the rules so more concerts can be hosted

More events across the board could be coming to Auckland's Eden Park.

RMA Minister Chris Bishop will lead an investigation into local rules impacting the number of concerts and sporting events that can be held and curfews impacting how long they can run for.  

Currently, only 12 music events and 25 night-time sports fixtures can be held each year, while conferences can't have more than 2000 people.  

Tourism Minister Louise Upston says Eden Park should have the flexibility to host any large-scale event that boosts the economy.

"Whether it's an add on to a convention that we're hosting at the NZICC for 3,000 people and they want to do a dinner offsite and Eden Park makes sense - we want to be able to just get on."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So it looks like eden Park could be hosting more
events in the future. The government's launching a review into
eden Park's consenting rules to see if they're fit for purpose.
This follows the announcement yesterday of the seventy million dollar
boost to your major artists and sporting events to the country.
Louise Upston is the Minister for Tourists.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Halouise Afternoon, Heather, Now, why launch.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
An investigation instead of just changing the rules.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, this is a process that's available to us now
because of the recently passed Resource Management Act. So mister
Chris Bishop will lead an investigation to look at the
rules around events at eden Park see if they are
negatively impacting on economic growth. And that's where it gives
us the opportunity to basically investigate the options. They'll be

(00:46):
working with the Council. There'll be consultation with the community
and then Cabinet will make a decision in the new
year as changes are required.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
What do you reckon is the best outcome here? Would
it be that eden Park is basically able to host
any con it's any sporting events whenever it wants.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
No. Look, the intention here is just to make sure
that there is more flexibility for Eden Park. We do
know that some of the rules that exist at the
moment just create real barriers for us being able to
attract events. So the government is investing seventy million dollars
into events and tourism and we don't want to have
additional barriers in the way for New Zealand's largest event stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
I mean so at the moment the rules are twelve
shows per year, twenty five nighttime sporting events per year,
only allowed to go until nine thirty except for cricket
which can go until ten, and then conferences can't have
any more than two thousand people. Why don't just take
away all those rules and say to Edenpark, you guys
can do whatever you want, make as much money and
have as much fun as you can.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Well, I think it's important that we do this investigation.
There are a range of things that need to be
taken into account, but the end result here is that
we want more flexibility for Eden Park. So when going
out to attract bids internationally to then be able to
host them at Eden Park, which will be fantastic for

(02:07):
Auckland and New Zealand, we don't want them to fall
at the last hurdle because the international coverage needs to
mean the the game starts at nine point thirty and
seven thirty at night. That's a real issue for an
event that eden Park are considering at the moment.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Which one.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well that that would be something for eden Park to
talk about.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
No one will know.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Tell us, well, if you think about some of the
codes and one of the games that we lost last
weekend something to do with league.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah, but anyway, if you say, if you say they're boys, Louise,
no one will love it.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
They're real problems. They're real problems, and.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
What we want to do totally agreeless and thank you
so much.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I just want to give them. We want to give
them flexibility. So the whether they are attracting our fantastic
sports event, whether they are hosting an event in an
exhibition that is quite unlike anything we've had in New
Zealand before, whether it's an add on to a convention
that we're hosting at the nzt ICC for three thousand
people and they want to do a dinner off site,

(03:17):
an eden Park makes sense. Listen. We want to be
able to just get on and do the stuff. We
know we'll have a big big difference to our economy.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Good stuff, Louise, thanks very much, appreciate it, Louis ups
and Tourism Minister.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
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