RWC plans - trains back

Well it is not often I agree with Wingy but when he says that the 'average' person in Dunedin is not going to benefit from the stadium 'financially' I totally agree and would go further and say this is a vast understatement.

Why should the people of Dunedin subsidise Big Rugby? We are being asked to pay higher rates and council service costs and also face the potential of council services cut all together, all to  "make the stadium work".

Wingy is fine with a  handful of people in Dunedin being financially well off from the stadium at the expense of the financial stability of the city. Me, I think it's a betrayal of Dunedin people.

Its too late now of course but the RWC parking/transport restrictions demonstrates the stupidity of building a stadium in this location. The CST justified the location due to a "symbiosis" with the University. Rubbish. The location has nothing to do with the University because they have not contributed one dollar towards stadium construction. However, train use is good - this time. Car parking should be allowed on Butts Road but with a one-way system away from the stadium. No stadium car parking? What on earth were they built for?

I think the DCC are over-optimistic on spectator numbers. This was shown when the Lions were here when 30,000 would supposedly invade our streets, but in fact it was 2500. Pushing St Clair and Roslyn as event centres is a nonsense - it won't happen. I am not cynical about the RWC games in Dunedin, but I think the spin about the events is barmy. Remember that Dunedin is paying all the costs for having RWC games in Dunedin. Shops, hotels, tourist spots and motels will profit from the events but that's it folks!

This post is a fine example of politician-speak, plenty of words but no facts to back anything up. If this is the case generally then why has Brisbane signed an agreement with the Australian Rugby Union to hold at least one rugby test a year there for the next 10 years. Or Melbourne holding a rugby union test there when rugby union is virtually non existent in the city let alone the State of Victoria.

We keep hearing that test so and so brought in so many millions but then when someone from the local Uni looks at it we see it's really thousands rather than millions. When rugby hired someone to estimate what a test would bring in to the city they assumed we have ten thousand empty hotel beds that don't exist and told us how much money that would bring in (zero dollars of course). It's all just wishful thinking to justify the unjustifiable.

I  think you'll find that if you look at the way the NZRFU and the All Blacks work, plus the obscene cost of the stadium debacle, that rugby causes far more money to leave Otago than ever comes in - a lot gets sucked into Sky or to head office, or to the IRB, to Auckland construction companies, or to Aussie banks never to be seen again. All in all I'd say that rugby is a net loss of the local economy - given the tiny number of us who ever go to watch it we shouldn't be subsidising every seat at the stadium each time it is used with public dollars - fans should stop being so selfish and start paying for their own fun.

1 - Why is it sad that train services are up and running? It is a great idea and saying that they should be up and running always is not commercially viable and is another issue all together.

2 - All major stadiums in New Zealand are aiming to get people walking to the ground / taking public transport. There is parking for the stadium it just won't be in use during world cup events. I am sure those with disabiities will have a special option set up.

3- Average citizens will reap benefits. Maybe not financially (Although many will). This is the biggest event NZ has ever hosted. It will be exciting.

Whether you like it or not rugby over the years through Otago, the Highlanders and the All Blacks have created hundreds of jobs in Dunedin and pumped millions of dollars into Dunedin by hosting events here.

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If ever an event was preceded by an avalanche of bulls... it would have to be this one, almost on a par with America's Cup yachting. I'm just waiting for reaction after the Dunedin matches, which I foresee as being 'was that it?' Really, apart from the fraternity which sees rugby as our sole reason for having been put on this planet, genuine interest ranges from 'mild' through lethargic to 'couldn't be less interested'. Note that the advertising does not promote quality rugby as the objective; it promotes 'being part of history'.

I think Dunedin, after the World Cup, will be very much like Athens after the Olympics........(and likely London after the next one), and look what happened to Greece; it's now a case of 'No, to a Grecian Earn', apparently. Will Dunedin be the next basket-case in the name of sport? Let's hope not, but I'm not holding my breath. 

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Thank God my wife and I will not be in this city during the running of the biggest con job this side of the black stump. We are among the lucky ones, we have sold our house and are moving on to pastures new.  I pity those who have to remain and try and lead a normal life in a city that is no longer interested in the residential rate payer, other than to continue to pay money to the bottomless bank account i.e DCC so that they can continue to run at a loss.  

Gone are the days of yesteryear when the residents were someone that the DCC took notice of.  Now it is a city run by a few wanabees who run the city for the benefit of the rich and infamous. 

rdonaldson wrote:

Why not build a temporary station with temporary platform right beside the stadium? Fans could then be delivered and collected 50m from the ground rather than 1½ km away.

As the railway runs right past the stadium, I fully agree that it should be possible, and certainly preferable, for fans to be dropped off and picked up from alongside it &en; and all the more so if the eyes of the world will be upon Dunedin at the time.

But build a temporary station beside the stadium? If it is going to be so successful that it will actually turn out to be an asset to Dunedin (as its backers would have us all believe), then wouldn't that strongly suggest that there would probably be a good case for building a station of a more enduring nature?

Strange how only 2 streets are closed for Carisbrook with 30,000 spectators but we have to spend $350,000 and cause heaps of street disruptions for the stadium for the same number of spectators.

The article states: 'fans encouraged to use public transport and walk to the venue', but it appears they actually will be forced to do so since there are no alternatives indicated. Surely there will be some provision for those who arrive by taxi and such to be dropped off at the door. So far the setup is looking pretty shonky in this regard. Let's hope a new improved version appears soon for everyone's sake. 

The stadium knockers will really love this. I am very surprised there haven't been a flood of their comments posted yet.

What's the problem walking 1.7km - less than 15 minutes. Most people need the exercis.

It sickens me to see the DCC and ODT salivating over this. It's also really sad to see things like train services, which long ago should have been made available for local citizens, suddenly rolled out to turn the city into a rugby theme park for what are sure to be a bunch of drunken thugs. I for one will be staying as far away from the central city as possible. Dunedin is ill-equipped to deal with these events, as witnessed by the fact that there is no parking for the stadium, and spectators will be expected to walk more than a kilometre on average to get to the event--no mention of those with disabilities. The city will look like a disaster area after this gauntlet, average citizens will reap no benefit, and violence and arrests will be through the roof. The DCC will spend $350,000 (not including stadium costs), but we'll have to wait another decade for decent cycleways because they're too expensive.  

Why not build a temporary station with temporary platform right beside the stadium? Fans could then be delivered and collected 50m from the ground rather than 1½ km away.

But what is a "secure area" with no car parking allowed? Does that mean none for the general public but heaps for the RWC mob?

Will this wholesale disruption happen each and every time there's a major event at the stadium (not just the RWC)? If not what's so different that we have to do it for the RWC? From a public access point of view it is a very stupid place to put a stadium - right in the middle of a busy University space with a major highway to the port going through the middle of it - and no one thought to add enough parking, it's not like it wasn't pointed out that this would happen long before it was built - just read back through these forums.

With Butts road closed for the VIPs how will we get kids and parents to and from Logan Park High School? Don't forget that when the RMA for the stadium was done Butts road was left open, will the city get a new RMA done? it's bad enough that parents from West Harbour are shut off from the school by the currently permitted plan. Why should VIPs get a free ride anyway? make them walk with everyone else.

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