Chris Bishop: RMA Reform Minister on the current rules around concerts at Eden Park

Claims the current Eden Park rules are comical.  

The Government's looking at settings including the number of concerts held at the Auckland stadium and their duration.  

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says there will be a four to six week investigation period.  

He told Mike Hosking he won't be making a pre-emptive decision on what needs to change.  

Bishop says even though he's publicly stated that the rules are stupid, he will follow the proper process.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
As part of the government's of vents and tourism package.
They also announced a review into the roll of Eton
Park and whether the thing might be used a little
more productively than it currently is. Their current rules. If
you don't know, they're only six artists allowed to play
twelve shows a year, only on certain days and at
certain times. As watched. The Prime Minister announced this yesterday
along with Louise Upston. I just thought I knew this
and yet to hear it articulated out loud. It's just

(00:22):
embarrassing how bad we are as a country at times.
Chris Bishops, the REMA Reform ministries with us, good morning,
good morning. I mean, do you feel the same way.
You're only allowed six artists twelve shows a year, and
you can't do it on a Sunday or after three o'clock.
It's just pathetic.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's comical, isn't it. And the worst is the only
allowed four concerts in a four week period. So if
you want a good run of X coming you can't
because you only allowed four in a four week period.
In a month, you know, you can't have more than
two thousand people for a conference facility. You know the
spot games have to finish at nine point thirty unless
their cricket, in which they can go to ten o'clock.
I mean, it's just sort of comically yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
So why is the announcement yesterday about an investigation as
opposed to just getting on and doing it.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Because the law requires me to do that. So we
gave ourselves the ability and central government to do this
just a couple of weeks ago. This is a very
new power. This was in the RMA Amendment Build that
just went through and it requires me to start an
investigation under the Act. And I have to basically do
an investigation into whether or not local rules like these
are holding back growth or development. I have to write

(01:24):
to the Council about it, I have to do some
work on it, I have to consult with people, and
then I have to make an assessment. It only takes
about four to six weeks. And we're not talking about
an aigated process here, but we.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Can jump to the end. You've made your assessment, we
know what's going to happen and things will change. Is
that fair or not?

Speaker 2 (01:39):
No, I haven't made my assessment. I haven't prejdged anything.
I'm well, I'm a statutory decision maker in relation to this.
So I've indicated my you know, I mean I've publicly
said on many occasions, I think the rules are pretty stupid,
but I've got to go through a statutory process. So
I've started that work. In fact, I signed the paperwork
a couple of days ago.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
That conference thing that you talk of, the medical I've forgotten.
It was a story around a couple of weeks ago.
Maybe act was involved medical conferences and the fear of
advertising medicines and we couldn't have conferences. It's as you've
discovered these mad rules. I mean, who thinks of this
in the first place.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Well, I think in relation to Eden Park, you know,
you've got quite a strong residence association there. You know,
Helen Clark and others who you know, are pretty worked
up about basically anything from what I can see happening
at Eden Park. But the reality is it's our national
stadium and it's it's where we want concerts and major
events to take place. It's just as simple as that.
We've got a train station right next door, you know,
and it's existing infrastructure, so we want, we do want

(02:38):
to see it developed.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Sooner the better get on with it. Appreciate it. Rama
reform Minister Christopher bushop with us this morning. For more
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