Not much good seems to come from east Auckland as far as I can see (as an outsider).
WanderingSheep wrote:Doloras wrote:Meant to ask you about this. Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but is this another one of this arsehole government pushing their RW nutter voters voice? Not much good seems to come from east Auckland as far as I can see (as an outsider).theprof wrote:
with the official designation that'll mean that they will get first choice of AB's games and likely AW's games, utterly ridiculous, this government fawning all over Auckland is sickening.
If only they WERE fawning all over Auckland, rather than trying to kneecap and hobble it (continually reducing intensified housing to cater to Epsom NIMBYs, cancelling light rail etc). I would never vote for Wayne Brown but at least he's pushing them on these issues. However, this announcement is a nothing burger: https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/04/13/city-deal-or-no-deal/
Eden Park is crap but it's privately owned so to an extent national and local govt have to make deals with it rather than dictate to it. I'm really not happy about apparently building a hotel on the No 2 ground and moving all first-class cricket to Colin Maiden on the other side of town.
coochiee wrote:
Auckland Cricket moving to Western Springs, plus developing that site as a test cricket ground seems the missed opportunity.
A better location than Colin Maiden?
EP no 2 is prime real estate, in a land shortage isthmus city. If some hotel development sees the EP Trust/Council and/or National Govt pocket a few million (or more) to then spend on EP's long term future, that seems a not bad result. Ask your average ratepayer or tax payer, who's not one of the 50 people turning up to watch a Ford Trophy/Plunket Shield match.
Whatever annual lease the hotel operator pays (if that is the financial model), will likely be higher than the Auckland cricket sausage sizzle and beer income stream.
There was a whole indepth months long feaso study, examining building that Quay Park stadium last year. It was all just sadly assessed, as too high risk to build that downtown edifice. The developer's plans based off some pretty flaky numbers. The Councillors who had access to all info, voted resoundingly to can Quay Park, and so like it or not Eden Park is the less risky long term answer.