Housing people the priority

Plans for two major central Christchurch anchor projects — the Metro Sports Facility and multi-purpose stadium — are back on track, the Government says.

Minister for Greater  Christchurch Megan Woods made the announcement yesterday, leaving much of the finer detail to be announced at a later date.

For some reason, Dr Woods only mentioned the Government had faced a $75 million blow-out in costs on the contract it inherited from the previous government. She maintains there was no certainty on the shape or cost of Christchurch’s stadium.

Without actually committing to anything, Dr Woods says she and the Christchurch City Council foresee a roofed stadium to allow the city to host major rugby test matches and other significant sports and entertainment events.

The announcement as such failed to include any details about a roofed stadium, concentrating instead on the significant Metro Sports Facility’s development.

National says despite pleas from the public, sporting groups and event operators, the Government still will not front up with any kind of commitment to replace Lancaster Park, Canterbury’s former rugby stadium.

Christchurch voters should not forget that during the election campaign, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern committed $300 million extra towards the ongoing rebuild. The money should be earmarked for these kinds of projects, National says.

Dissecting the case, there is no doubt Christchurch needs and deserves a world-class rugby ground. The city has been starved of top-class All Blacks matches since the earthquakes.

Top entertainment acts are coming to Dunedin, something which is an obvious sore point for Cantabrians.

Looking back to earlier this year, the Metro Sports Facility was forecast to cost $300 million, but a $75 million blow-out meant the Government cancelled the contract with the preferred contractor. The venue was set to open in 2016 but it is now 2021, at the earliest, before the anchor project will be ready.

The Christchurch City Council is in something of an awkward position. It obviously supports a multi-purpose sports facility. Perhaps a covered rugby stadium and entertainment venue is a step too far for ratepayers, some of them still living in earthquake-damaged homes.

Anyone who has been to the eastern suburbs of the city will realise the continued poor state of the roads and some parts of the housing stock means not enough is being done fast enough.

Just last week, a Christchurch man went on a hunger strike in an effort to force EQC to engage with him.

Christchurch people are suffering and nice-to-have things like a covered rugby stadium and entertainment venue must be put aside until the city’s infrastructure is rebuilt to an acceptable standard. Let us not forget taxpayers are already up for $270 million to fixed botched repairs.

Dunedin’s $200 million Forsyth Barr stadium had a blow-out in costs and it is likely any facility built in Christchurch will suffer a similar fate. The former National government contributed just $15 million to Forsyth Barr Stadium, leaving the rest of the money to be found by the community through rates and other fundraising.

The $15 million Dunedin received is a long way from the money the previous and current governments plan to spend in Christchurch — albeit in different circumstances.

At present, Dunedin has an advantage of being able to attract major entertainment shows to the stadium, not only because it is large and covered. DVML staff have shown expertise at dealing with global promoters. Crowds turn up.

At a rough estimate, Dunedin has five years before Christchurch gets close to a covered stadium suitable for both rugby and entertainment. Dunedin needs to take full advantage of those years to cement its place as a premier entertainment venue. The stadium mainly hosts second-tier rugby tests once a year. Entertainment is where the money is.

Meanwhile, the Government and the Christchurch City Council should concern themselves with improving the lot of residents still battling with insurers and EQC for safe, warm housing.