Stop the Stadium has
announced a date for its pending Court of Appeal action
against the $198 million Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The appeal would be heard on August 18, following the group's
request for an "urgent" hearing, Stop the Stadium president
Bev Butler said.
The group's appeal followed its unsuccessful application for
an injunction to prevent the signing of a stadium contract
between the Dunedin City Council and Hawkins Construction.
The application was dismissed by Justice Lester Chisholm in
the High Court at Christchurch on April 24.
Yesterday, Ms Butler said she was "pleased" to receive the
Court of Appeal date.
However, she wanted the council to suspend stadium spending
until after the appeal, and a separate High Court action by
Queenstown stadium opponent Basil Walker, were resolved.
The call was included in a letter sent to Mayor Peter Chin
and city councillors yesterday and copied to the Otago
Daily Times.
Mr Chin was not aware of the letter or court date when
contacted yesterday.
He said the council would deal "appropriately" with the
outcome of both court actions, but rejected any suggestion
payments and work on the stadium should cease in the
meantime.
"It's tantamount to saying `Just stop work'. There's no way
that's going to happen . . . The project is going ahead."
- chris.morris@odt.co.nz
