Shane Henderson: Auckland Councillor ahead of Thursday's stadium vote

An Auckland Councillor says he's leaning towards choosing an improved Eden Park to be Auckland's national stadium. 

The other option is a new stadium at Quay Park. 

Council staff say neither proposal is entirely feasible - relying on funding from the Council or the Government.

Stadium Working Group chair Shane Henderson says Aucklanders want certainty - and they need to decide in Thursday's vote. 

He says Eden Park's looking preferable. 

"We can stage that development, the risk is a little bit more manageable. And honestly, looking at the report and the advice - they've got a few less issues out of the two."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The stadium showdown for our national Stadium in Auckland. Auckland
Council staff have been looking into this. Do you jazz
up Eden Park? Do you go for the glitzy new
waterfront stadium with a fifty thousand capacity? Which one are
you going to go for? The council staff have come
back and said basically neither. Neither proponent has demonstrated that

(00:21):
their proposal is feasible without significant public funding. Now the
council will vote on this on Thursday. This on the
same day Brisbane announces a sixty thousand capacity brand spanking
new stadium that will open for the Olympics in twenty
thirty two. Shane Henderson is with me tonight. He's the
Auckland councilor and chair of the Stadium working Group.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Good evening, John, how's it going good?

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Thank you? So is that about right this? The staff
have said neither is going to work financially.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yes, staff have said there's issues with both proposals, particularly financially.
What's the key park proposal is also kind of further
difficulties around kind of the technicality of what they're trying
to do down there. So yeah, both bids have some
issues exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
So what was the point in getting council staff to
look at them in the first place.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well, I think we've got to get the people in
the room that can kick the tires and the finances
and every other kind of aspect of it to give
us that advice. That's come back and advance a Thursday
and it said, look, they're both fighting to a draw. Well,
I think, honestly, Orpland is one of bit more certainty
than that, And I think it's still open to us
to endorse one of the two options.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
So what do you expect will happen on Thursday, that
there'll be a stay of proceedings, Let's pause until we
can get more information.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
I think that's an option, is to stay the proceedings
and let it sort of sit for a bit and
get more and so and let teams work on it.
But another option, honestly, is to put on the table
one of the two options and get counselors to vote
on it, and if it does pass, then we've got
some certainty for Auklaners and the team that is successful
can go ahead and work on those issues.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Anyway, which one would you vote for?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Look, honestly, I'm leading to Wunting Park two point one.
At the stage we can stage that development so that
it can the risk is a bit more manageable and honestly,
looking at the report and the advice, they've got a
few less issues of the two.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Here's the thing with Eden Park that's going to cost
text players. They want one hundred million dollars to jazz
it up. You know. Yeah, that's all very well and
good for you to vote for. But what about the
rest of the country that I'm going to be happy
with that?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah, I can understand that. And look, as part of
our process is organ Council. We've been very clear that
ratepayers money is not in the equation and so they
need to knock on some doors themselves, even Parker choosing
to knock on the government store. And I'd suggest that
if any kind of private funding they can attract would
be very appropriate as well. We don't know what the
f side is from the government.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
All right, Shane, thanks very much for being with me.
Shane Henderson, who is the chair of the Stadium Working
Group or can counselor for more from hither Duplessy Allen
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