Confusion over the billionaire-backed Auckland Arena proposal being withdrawn from options for Western Springs.
Businesswoman Anna Mowbray, her husband and former All Black Ali Williams, and Auckland FC owner Bill Foley withdrew their 12,500 seat proposal, which wouldn't have cost ratepayers a cent.
It follows news Aucklanders don't have a clear preference on an option for the site.
The group cites unique challenges.
Chair of the Stadium Venues Working Group Shane Henderson told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've been left largely in the dark.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Mowbrays have pulled the plug on building Auckland, that
new stadium at Western Springs. It's Anna Moobray, her husband
Ali Williams, and of course the American billionaire Bill Foley
that offered to spend about two to three hundred million
building the stadium. Wouldn't have cost rate payers a cent.
Now the office being pulled. Shane Henderson as chair of
the Stadium Venues Working Group and with us Hey, Shane.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Cadigan warning what happened? Well, I mean, so they've pulled
out and they've put out a statement saying there were
unique challenges and extended timelines and complexities. I'd liked a
bit more detail on that, and that's probably for them
to extend upon because from my perspective it seemed like
a standard in OI process was.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, maybe that's the problem. Was nobody talking to them?
You were you guys not in regular communication with them?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, it certainly seems that they were being talked to
through council and in fact Tartuki has recommended it as
a preferred option for the site. So it seemed like
from our perspective, it was something that we were interested
in exploring, something the public consultation.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Well, now, Shane, Okay, so yesterday when I heard this
new use, I immediately started calling people to find out
what happened. Did you not do the same thing?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, I've been putting out the word myself and they
haven't received anything more than hold in the media.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
So the people who were talking to Anna and Ali
and Bill, the people in the council who were talking
to them the whole way through the process, they couldn't
tell you what had gone wrong.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
No, well that that all I heard was what had
been put in the media. Exactly.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, they had They not called Ali in them and
been like, whoa what happened?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Ya? I'm not too sure about that. This is content
those conversations.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, haven't we just come to the actual problem here,
which is we have got people who are prepared to
spend two to three hundred million dollars in Auckland City
for free right, and when they pulled the pin, nobody
in councils like, oh geez, stop that from happening. In fact,
nobody's been talking to them by the sounds of things
in the lead up to know that there's a problem.
(01:54):
Isn't that the problem?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Well, it's certainly a frustrating situation, isn't that? Goodness me,
it sounds like a very attractive position, But at the
same time, the public didn't think so they didn't put
it as their preferred option in the feedback.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Is it not your preferred option?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, they've pulled out, so that will be a question
that has lost in the mist of time.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Oh no, Shane, I can't tell you how frustrating I'm
finding you right now? Are you not even like, like,
on a scale of one to ten, about eleven bummed
out that we've lost a free stadium bummed out?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But yeah, honestly, I was not sure how the conversation
is going to go WIS council Is at that July meeting,
because the feedback results were quite clear that there was
no clear favorite. So how that conversation was going to
go we.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Didn't I So do you think that maybe they then
pulled out because they could see that you people were
not going to go with it.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, well, I can't sort of speculate too much on
the detail behind why they've pulled out. Goodness and me. Yeah,
it's but it's certainly frustrating. It's frustrating for everyone and
autened and frustrating for us as well.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Okay, right, okay, Shane, thank you. Shane Henderson, Chair of
the Stadium Venues working Group, Mind Blown Mind currently blown
three hundred million dollars for free and will God goodness me,
isn't that water bummer?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Just you know, well, never mind, somebody else will
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Come along for more from the mic Asking Breakfast, Listen
live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
The Mowbrays have pulled the plug on building Auckland, that
new stadium at Western Springs. It's Anna Moobray, her husband
Ali Williams, and of course the American billionaire Bill Foley
that offered to spend about two to three hundred million
building the stadium. Wouldn't have cost rate payers a cent.
Now the office being pulled. Shane Henderson as chair of
the Stadium Venues Working Group and with us Hey, Shane.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Cadigan warning what happened? Well, I mean, so they've pulled
out and they've put out a statement saying there were
unique challenges and extended timelines and complexities. I'd liked a
bit more detail on that, and that's probably for them
to extend upon because from my perspective it seemed like
a standard in OI process was.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, maybe that's the problem. Was nobody talking to them?
You were you guys not in regular communication with them?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, it certainly seems that they were being talked to
through council and in fact Tartuki has recommended it as
a preferred option for the site. So it seemed like
from our perspective, it was something that we were interested
in exploring, something the public consultation.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Well, now, Shane, Okay, so yesterday when I heard this
new use, I immediately started calling people to find out
what happened. Did you not do the same thing?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, I've been putting out the word myself and they
haven't received anything more than hold in the media.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
So the people who were talking to Anna and Ali
and Bill, the people in the council who were talking
to them the whole way through the process, they couldn't
tell you what had gone wrong.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
No, well that that all I heard was what had
been put in the media. Exactly.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, they had They not called Ali in them and
been like, whoa what happened?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Ya? I'm not too sure about that. This is content
those conversations.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, haven't we just come to the actual problem here,
which is we have got people who are prepared to
spend two to three hundred million dollars in Auckland City
for free right, and when they pulled the pin, nobody
in councils like, oh geez, stop that from happening. In fact,
nobody's been talking to them by the sounds of things
in the lead up to know that there's a problem.
(01:54):
Isn't that the problem?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Well, it's certainly a frustrating situation, isn't that? Goodness me,
it sounds like a very attractive position, But at the
same time, the public didn't think so they didn't put
it as their preferred option in the feedback.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Is it not your preferred option?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, they've pulled out, so that will be a question
that has lost in the mist of time.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Oh no, Shane, I can't tell you how frustrating I'm
finding you right now? Are you not even like, like,
on a scale of one to ten, about eleven bummed
out that we've lost a free stadium bummed out?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But yeah, honestly, I was not sure how the conversation
is going to go WIS council Is at that July meeting,
because the feedback results were quite clear that there was
no clear favorite. So how that conversation was going to
go we.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Didn't I So do you think that maybe they then
pulled out because they could see that you people were
not going to go with it.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, well, I can't sort of speculate too much on
the detail behind why they've pulled out. Goodness and me. Yeah,
it's but it's certainly frustrating. It's frustrating for everyone and
autened and frustrating for us as well.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Okay, right, okay, Shane, thank you. Shane Henderson, Chair of
the Stadium Venues working Group, Mind Blown Mind currently blown
three hundred million dollars for free and will God goodness me,
isn't that water bummer?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Just you know, well, never mind, somebody else will
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Come along for more from the mic Asking Breakfast, Listen
live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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