The nimbys will kill it. I'm about 99.97% sure.
The curse of living in NZ.
This
I am afraid you are right. If this is a notified consent process then any halfwit with an axe to grind can appeal to the Environmental Court and the whole thing goes into a black whole for years.
I'll give you an example. The Cordon Bleu Cooking school in Cuba Street was originally going to Martinborough....sort of wine and fine food match up. Was meant to be sited on a vineyard...the land was bought, the buildings were designed. Despite 2000+ local people signing a petition in support TWO people objected(one of them did not even live in the area). End result it became tied up in endless legalise...the French owners pulled the pin and moved it to Wellington.
But we should try and be positive and hope this goes through on schedule. To sell this it needs to be seen to be attractive to as wide a group as possible. It needs to be promoted as a community facility not just as a Nix stadium. For example there is plenty of spare space under the stands at stadiums....if its designed properly this space could be used as office space for community groups. The Weltec campus is right next door and they are resticted in space.....they too could tie in and use some of the stadium space.....they would be paying tenants as well. Also...as people have pointed out get eggball(choke choke) an other sports on board as well.
As an aside if you look at the photo mockup the design leaves the exisiting PetRec stadium intact(top of picture, West end behind the goal) How good would that be as the YF stand? An exclusive, self policing stand where the YF could do what they liked. They could even install a members bar. Its an OK stand, a bit old, flabby and past its prime......so it would be perfect match for the current crew!!!