Stadium group seeks costs

Stop the Stadium's lawyers are applying for $17,513 court costs from the Dunedin City Council following the organisation's High Court challenge to the council's funding of the Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The council, in turn, is applying for $11,000 from Stop the Stadium, and the organisation's future hangs on the result.

Stop the Stadium secretary Carol Sawyer clarified her group's situation this week.

A $4740 bond had been lodged with the Court of Appeal for the hearing last month, and with costs for the hearing close to that sum, that issue was dealt with, Ms Sawyer said.

Stop the Stadium's claim for High Court costs is based on an argument the council provided incorrect information about its funding, in particular about a $15 million Government grant.

While the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, it noted an unallocated $13 million shortfall had been picked up by the council, increasing its capital contribution to the project by that sum.

Its judgement said the $15 million had not covered that amount, as evidence to the High Court had indicated it had.

Council counsel Frazer Barton said submissions on costs from both parties had been lodged, and he expected a response in about two weeks.

The decision would be made by Justice Lester Chisholm, the High Court judge who dismissed Stop the Stadium's challenge to the council in April.

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