June 21, 2025 • 9 mins
Construction of Christchurch’s long-awaited stadium is entering its final stretch, with the venue on track for a 2026 opening.
The stadium is set to have capacity for a crowd of 30,000 for sports matches and room for over 37,000 for concerts.
Te Kaha project manager Kent Summerfield joined Piney to discuss.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The new stadium is taking shape and on target to
open early next year. Tekaha Rising into the christ Church
Sky in the CBD boarded by Madras, Tuham, Barbados and
Hereford Streets. I was taken on tour this morning by
Tekaha project manager Kent Summerfield. We had a chat once
the walking was done on ours. First of all, which
(00:35):
major pieces of work are still to be completed on Tekaha.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Well, a lot of it happens in parallel. Obviously, we've
got a lot of open workfronts.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So at the.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Moment we're completing installation of the secondary steel for the
roofs structure. We're getting pretty close to tiding that up.
Then down on the south east corner of the site.
We're getting underway with the seeding installation, so that we'll
continue around the seeding bowl and.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
We should wrap that up late this year.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
We're getting underway the installation of the ethylene tetra flora
ethylene roof, which in Simpol terms is the clear portion
of the roof to the north of the site.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
We're wrapping up the last.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Installation of the solid roofing, and we'll be continuing with
the cladding to the facade right around to the north,
and later on this year we'll be bringing the turf
that we've got growing out there at the turf farm
at the moment, rolling that up and bringing that to
site to lay it out. And then we're just getting
(01:42):
underway at the moment with some of the external works,
the landscaping around the arena.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
So there's a lot happening at once.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
It will be a busy last eight to ten months
for us on site, but as you can see, the
busily working working through all of that. So yeah, we're
well on track for April next year.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
We're standing in the middle of what will be the
playing surface or off to one side, So is the
grass the last thing to go in? Will that be
one of the last things that we see.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
It's certainly one of the last things, and obviously that'll
be a big milestone. Are going to look very different
to what it does now, which essentially a crane platform
where we're standing, but yeah, it will be one of
the last things. So as we move along the side
to the north and get rid of the lifting platforms
that we've got in here at the moment, working at
(02:35):
height will start to build up that field of play
and once that's completed, yeah, we'll be bringing the turf,
so yeah, that'll be happening late this year and then
there will just be finishing works with the fit out
internally and the landscaping to wrap things up.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
One of the benchmarks of any build, I think is
getting the roof on. L is it a roof shout?
Did you get a roof shout going when you got
the roof on?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Well, we're not quite there yet, but yeah, look it'll
it will be a big milestone and a big celebration.
So you can see the solid portion of the roof
is very close to finish, and yeah, the ETF will
take us through towards the end of the year to
wrap that up. So yeah, that is a big, big
(03:20):
challenge technically challenging obviously the roof structure and then installation
of the clouding. So yeah, we'll certainly celebrate once we've
got that wrapped up.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
In the seating, what kind of seating is it? Are
they plastic bucket seats? What's the seating here? Yeah, the
plastic seating. People will be happy to hear.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
They are larger than the ones that we've got in
the existing stadium, so a bit of extra patron comfort.
So yeah, the installation of those will be getting underway
very shortly, and yeah there's a cultural pattern incorporated into
those so produced by a local ary artist, So yeah,
(04:02):
they're going to look quite striking when they're in.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
And going back a level presumably there's everything that the
field of players, what most people will see when they
arrive here, watch on television, all that sort of thing.
But things like broadcast facilities, corporate lounges, you know, meeting spaces,
they're all in the process of being done now or
is that still to come as well.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, they are the fit out as well and truly progressed.
It's at varying stages around the building, but particularly in
the western stand very advanced. So on level one up
here we've got the function lounge capable of hosting up
to around nine hundred people and divisible in two.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
You can see all the glazings in.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
All the lining's carpet down, so a lot of those
areas getting pretty.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Close to finished.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Likewise, the corporate suites on level two, the premium, General
and missionary on level three and then up there on
level four you can see the coaches and media boxes
all framed out in some of the internal finishing is
just getting pretty close to being finished in there as well.
And then over in the southern and eastern stands we've
(05:15):
got the Level one concourse. A bit hard to see
from here, but we've got the fit out of the
food and beverage outlets. We've got thirty two of those
dotted around the concourse primarily, and yeah, they're well advanced
as well.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
So we're on track. We always hear about it. Obviously,
we're on track for twenty twenty six. Is that out
of your hands? Have you got a delivery date that
you have to deliver or what are we talking in terms.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Of when it may may be open?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, so April is our target date. Obviously a lot
of excitement around that. Some of our stakeholders very keen
to get in potentially earlier than that, but look, that
is our target date and we are on track for that,
and if we're able to deliver it earlier then that'd
(06:05):
be great.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
But yeah, april's the goal.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It's an exciting time for the city, isn't it. The
city has been through a lot, you know, and you
come here now or having the last couple of years
and to see this rising right in the CBD, it
must be a very exciting time for Cantabrians.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Yeah, it is, and it's great.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I think that feedback that we're getting from the public
and in the excitement you feel it.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I mentioned some of the stakeholders.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
They can see what's going on and they are desperately
keen to get in here, and I think it's Yeah,
it is a regional asset for the community, and we
do have a wide variety of stakeholders who, Yeah, they
(06:48):
can see the potential uses, they can see how they
might be involved, and yeah, it is a lot of
excitement building out there, and yeah, we are looking forward
to handing it over and getting in here, and you
just starting to think about all the historic events that
(07:09):
will take place here, sporting and cultural and.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Corporate, et cetera. It is very exciting.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I know, when rugby players go to Dunedin to Foresyth Bar,
they try and hit the roof, they try and boot
it up and hit the roof out tools the roof, well,
it's lowest and it's highest points it's.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Around so the total height of the buildings around fifty
meters and then you've got the fifteen meter roof structure.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
We will also have the mother.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Grid rigging system to the south of the site, so
at its last point it's around thirty three meters. So
it'll take an impressive punt, as you could see, and
I think that have to be trying pretty hard to
deliberately achieve that. So yeah, it's consistent with other covered
(08:00):
arenas in terms of its height.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Just to finish to you sort of allow yourself to
crystal Ballgays a bit down the track three or four
years and think about this as a as a full
in use facility for sport, for cultural events, for concerts.
Do you imagine what that might be like?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah? Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I mean I grew up in Canterbury and going to
Lancaster Park and went to a lot of events there
and it was a real hub and I think this
will be very much the same, but enhanced again because
we're going to be obviously indoors, and yeah, just the
(08:38):
level of comfort and I think the togetherness that this
will bring to the community is hugely exciting.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
And yeah, just picturing.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Those big events coming back, the sporting teams playing in here.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
It's going to be massive for the community.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
That is the voice of Takaha project manager Kent Summerfield.
Many thanks Kent for taking us on a tour this
morning and giving us an update on the progress of
christ Church brand new stadium.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The new stadium is taking shape and on target to
open early next year. Tekaha Rising into the christ Church
Sky in the CBD boarded by Madras, Tuham, Barbados and
Hereford Streets. I was taken on tour this morning by
Tekaha project manager Kent Summerfield. We had a chat once
the walking was done on ours. First of all, which
(00:35):
major pieces of work are still to be completed on Tekaha.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Well, a lot of it happens in parallel. Obviously, we've
got a lot of open workfronts.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So at the.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Moment we're completing installation of the secondary steel for the
roofs structure. We're getting pretty close to tiding that up.
Then down on the south east corner of the site.
We're getting underway with the seeding installation, so that we'll
continue around the seeding bowl and.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
We should wrap that up late this year.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
We're getting underway the installation of the ethylene tetra flora
ethylene roof, which in Simpol terms is the clear portion
of the roof to the north of the site.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
We're wrapping up the last.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Installation of the solid roofing, and we'll be continuing with
the cladding to the facade right around to the north,
and later on this year we'll be bringing the turf
that we've got growing out there at the turf farm
at the moment, rolling that up and bringing that to
site to lay it out. And then we're just getting
(01:42):
underway at the moment with some of the external works,
the landscaping around the arena.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
So there's a lot happening at once.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
It will be a busy last eight to ten months
for us on site, but as you can see, the
busily working working through all of that. So yeah, we're
well on track for April next year.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
We're standing in the middle of what will be the
playing surface or off to one side, So is the
grass the last thing to go in? Will that be
one of the last things that we see.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
It's certainly one of the last things, and obviously that'll
be a big milestone. Are going to look very different
to what it does now, which essentially a crane platform
where we're standing, but yeah, it will be one of
the last things. So as we move along the side
to the north and get rid of the lifting platforms
that we've got in here at the moment, working at
(02:35):
height will start to build up that field of play
and once that's completed, yeah, we'll be bringing the turf,
so yeah, that'll be happening late this year and then
there will just be finishing works with the fit out
internally and the landscaping to wrap things up.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
One of the benchmarks of any build, I think is
getting the roof on. L is it a roof shout?
Did you get a roof shout going when you got
the roof on?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Well, we're not quite there yet, but yeah, look it'll
it will be a big milestone and a big celebration.
So you can see the solid portion of the roof
is very close to finish, and yeah, the ETF will
take us through towards the end of the year to
wrap that up. So yeah, that is a big, big
(03:20):
challenge technically challenging obviously the roof structure and then installation
of the clouding. So yeah, we'll certainly celebrate once we've
got that wrapped up.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
In the seating, what kind of seating is it? Are
they plastic bucket seats? What's the seating here? Yeah, the
plastic seating. People will be happy to hear.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
They are larger than the ones that we've got in
the existing stadium, so a bit of extra patron comfort.
So yeah, the installation of those will be getting underway
very shortly, and yeah there's a cultural pattern incorporated into
those so produced by a local ary artist, So yeah,
(04:02):
they're going to look quite striking when they're in.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
And going back a level presumably there's everything that the
field of players, what most people will see when they
arrive here, watch on television, all that sort of thing.
But things like broadcast facilities, corporate lounges, you know, meeting spaces,
they're all in the process of being done now or
is that still to come as well.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, they are the fit out as well and truly progressed.
It's at varying stages around the building, but particularly in
the western stand very advanced. So on level one up
here we've got the function lounge capable of hosting up
to around nine hundred people and divisible in two.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
You can see all the glazings in.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
All the lining's carpet down, so a lot of those
areas getting pretty.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Close to finished.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Likewise, the corporate suites on level two, the premium, General
and missionary on level three and then up there on
level four you can see the coaches and media boxes
all framed out in some of the internal finishing is
just getting pretty close to being finished in there as well.
And then over in the southern and eastern stands we've
(05:15):
got the Level one concourse. A bit hard to see
from here, but we've got the fit out of the
food and beverage outlets. We've got thirty two of those
dotted around the concourse primarily, and yeah, they're well advanced
as well.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
So we're on track. We always hear about it. Obviously,
we're on track for twenty twenty six. Is that out
of your hands? Have you got a delivery date that
you have to deliver or what are we talking in terms.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Of when it may may be open?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, so April is our target date. Obviously a lot
of excitement around that. Some of our stakeholders very keen
to get in potentially earlier than that, but look, that
is our target date and we are on track for that,
and if we're able to deliver it earlier then that'd
(06:05):
be great.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
But yeah, april's the goal.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It's an exciting time for the city, isn't it. The
city has been through a lot, you know, and you
come here now or having the last couple of years
and to see this rising right in the CBD, it
must be a very exciting time for Cantabrians.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Yeah, it is, and it's great.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I think that feedback that we're getting from the public
and in the excitement you feel it.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I mentioned some of the stakeholders.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
They can see what's going on and they are desperately
keen to get in here, and I think it's Yeah,
it is a regional asset for the community, and we
do have a wide variety of stakeholders who, Yeah, they
(06:48):
can see the potential uses, they can see how they
might be involved, and yeah, it is a lot of
excitement building out there, and yeah, we are looking forward
to handing it over and getting in here, and you
just starting to think about all the historic events that
(07:09):
will take place here, sporting and cultural and.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Corporate, et cetera. It is very exciting.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I know, when rugby players go to Dunedin to Foresyth Bar,
they try and hit the roof, they try and boot
it up and hit the roof out tools the roof, well,
it's lowest and it's highest points it's.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Around so the total height of the buildings around fifty
meters and then you've got the fifteen meter roof structure.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
We will also have the mother.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Grid rigging system to the south of the site, so
at its last point it's around thirty three meters. So
it'll take an impressive punt, as you could see, and
I think that have to be trying pretty hard to
deliberately achieve that. So yeah, it's consistent with other covered
(08:00):
arenas in terms of its height.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Just to finish to you sort of allow yourself to
crystal Ballgays a bit down the track three or four
years and think about this as a as a full
in use facility for sport, for cultural events, for concerts.
Do you imagine what that might be like?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah? Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I mean I grew up in Canterbury and going to
Lancaster Park and went to a lot of events there
and it was a real hub and I think this
will be very much the same, but enhanced again because
we're going to be obviously indoors, and yeah, just the
(08:38):
level of comfort and I think the togetherness that this
will bring to the community is hugely exciting.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
And yeah, just picturing.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Those big events coming back, the sporting teams playing in here.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
It's going to be massive for the community.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
That is the voice of Takaha project manager Kent Summerfield.
Many thanks Kent for taking us on a tour this
morning and giving us an update on the progress of
christ Church brand new stadium.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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