$40-45 Million Soccer Specific Stadium - Petone Phoenix

It might be a clusterfuck, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our bit.

Over the weekend I'm going to:

- Write a draft submission and make it available for y'all to download and submit (deadline is May 16).

- Write a submission on behalf of Yellow Fevah.

- Touch base with all the local footy clubs to see if they'll make a submission and encourage their members to do same.

- See how much it would cost us (Fevah) to put ads in the local papers...I particularly like this idea. 

Who's with me!?

Happy to submit using your template. Just wonder if a wgtn rate payer will be counted for consideration by the hutt council.

Fever flags at Petone next friday?

When is the submission date?

I'd be keen to do something. If it is after our pissup , we could have that as a point on our meeting 'agenda' to cover a combined Fever response as well.

It might be a clusterfuck, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our bit.

Over the weekend I'm going to:

- Write a draft submission and make it available for y'all to download and submit (deadline is May 16).

- Write a submission on behalf of Yellow Fevah.

- Touch base with all the local footy clubs to see if they'll make a submission and encourage their members to do same.

- See how much it would cost us (Fevah) to put ads in the local papers...I particularly like this idea. 

Who's with me!?

When is the submission date?

I'd be keen to do something. If it is after our AGM, we could have that as a point on our meeting 'agenda' to cover a combined Fever response as well.

It may have been suggested (can't be bothered trolling back through the thread) buy why dont they just build a decent stadium around Petone Memorial? Make use of the old high school land. It also only has residential on one side (golf course, river and school on the other three). Close to a train station. Could even put a ferry landing in on the far side for the townies.

It may have been suggested (can't be bothered trolling back through the thread) buy why dont they just build a decent stadium around Petone Memorial? Make use of the old high school land. It also only has residential on one side (golf course, river and school on the other three). Close to a train station. Could even put a ferry landing in on the far side for the townies.

It might be a clusterfuck, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our bit.

Over the weekend I'm going to:

- Write a draft submission and make it available for y'all to download and submit (deadline is May 16).

- Write a submission on behalf of Yellow Fevah.

- Touch base with all the local footy clubs to see if they'll make a submission and encourage their members to do same.

- See how much it would cost us (Fevah) to put ads in the local papers...I particularly like this idea. 

Who's with me!?

Smithy, you're 100% on the money - this is the kind of boring shit that unfortunately has to be done to influence local government.  Surely it can't be much to advertise in the Hutt News?

 

It'll eat into the drinking money a surprising chunk...

Still think it's a better use of the money in the long run.  Sammy Buckle could be a great help on how to get maximum impact with his PR background, follow it up with a press release as well?  He's drafted it stuff in the pas (I think I was "quoted" in the Wellingtonian making some remakrs on Winston Peters decision to ban the fijian goalkeeper from a match in NZ)

Petone Arena Proposal - an Update Petone Cricket AGAINST arena proposal

Last week the Petone Cricket Club met to discuss the Proposed Petone arena and have decided to submit AGAINST it. If the arena were to go ahead, the cricket club considers it would not survive. Petone Cricket is to make a submission AGAINST the arena proposal. 

Petone Sportsville Support Cricket and Rugby

The Community Facilities Trust (Matt Reid and Alastair Skene) met with the Petone Sportsville member clubs and Petone Sportsville. After some "interesting" discussion, Petone Sportville have decided to support Cricket and Rugby in their opposition to the arena proposal. 

Moving Goalposts / Changing Rules

In the last edition we showed two diagrams of ground layout that were presented to us (Before and After) by CFT and which some of our argument was based upon. Since this information was published, the CFT have produced yet another "draft" layout. This latest draft only serves to confirm that the arena proposal is not in the interests of the community and if allowed to proceed both Petone Rugby Football Club and the Petone Riverside Cricket Club will not survive.

Here is the sequence so far:

From This...	While very much a concept (draft) plan, this was presented to PRFC Members by CFT immediately prior to a public meeting held at PRFC Clubrooms. It clearly shows concrete concourse to the East and South-East of the ground labelled "The Weltec Plaza" and two soccer grounds in the northern end of the Rec.
To this...	One major concern for Club and Community was the loss of large area of (contiguous) green space and this second version has removed much of the concrete on the outside of the arena to give the impression that green space is retained - an insult to our intelligence! Not shown here (but it appears on a subsequent plan) is a junior rugby field on the east side (the Weltec Plaza.) It will get no sun, will be a bog in the winter and the CFT are expecting 12,000 people to walk across this and the apparent increased amount of grass to the south of the arena.
To this...	This ground layout diagram was presented to the PRFC and around which part of our decision was based.  Petone Cricket also came to the same conclusion which will see them submit AGAINST the proposed arena. Focus Groups held recently (and commissioned by CFT) were asked to consider these layout plans.  Neither club will survive if the arena goes ahead and this will have a direct impact on community sport in the Hutt Valley and Wellington Region.
To this.	Draw your own conclusion. In the meeting with Sportsville Clubs CFT said that soccer fields will run East-West in the summer and North-South in the winter. We say "what soccer fields? And if soccer, what happens to cricket?"  The Phoenix training ground has disappeared and our Junior playing fields are still hugely reduced. Cricket gets one pitch back but it is debatable whether all the Junior pitches fit.  It is becoming more obvious with each plan iteration that CFT is trying to fit square pegs into round holes. This is no more graphically obvious than in this plan. (Note - a winter layout plan has been released in the last day or so.) If this layout is to be believed, the Community Concert area has cricket pitches in it. The large crowds that CFT says will attend, will be walking / picnicking / partying all over the cricket pitches. What famous beer advert is this starting to sound like?

Submissions

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 16 May - There are several ways to complete a submission.

You can complete the questionnaire online - note this will require registering through the Hutt City Council Website;

You can email your feedback:

You can write to the Hutt City Council at, Draft Annual Plan, Freepost 100039, Private Bag 31-912, Lower Hutt 5040.

If you lodge a submission by 5pm on 16 May, you can also talk to the Mayor and Councillors about your thoughts at meetings to be held on the 28th and 29th May.

Council will meet on 11 June to consider the submissions and make final decisions.

Focus Groups

The CFT commissioned a Research & Evaluation company to run three Focus Groups. The sessions were professionally run but the facilitators conceded that the timeframe they were given to complete these sessions was very "tight."

Focus Groups were presented with material that included the same ground layout plans presented to PRFC.

The groups were 1. Business Owners; 2. Retirees over the age of 60; 3. Eighteen to Twenty-five year olds.

Note that the largest demographic, non business owners over the age of 25 was not a part of this research.

PRFC contends that because the largest demographic has not been included and that the CFT has since changed the ground layout plans, the findings of this research is potentially flawed. 

Social Impact Report

On Friday 2 May, CFT provided Petone Sportville Clubs with a draft version of an independent report put together by Giblin Group. The report (which is now on the HCC website) we understand will be presented at tomorrow nights public meeting at the Petone Workingmans Club. We showed it to several consultants who are club members (or partners of) and they made the following comments:

"There are so many fundamental flaws in it, I would be horrified if one of my consultants produced this." 

"I'd be embarrassed to present this to any of my clients AND if I was one of my clients, I certainly wouldn't pay for it."

"I have just had a quick scan and it made me really angry..."

PRFC notes that the report states "Consultation with the community was not part of the scope of this report. Rather desktop research has been undertaken on the effects such a development can have on the social outcomes of a community."

We will comment further about this report when we understand CFT's "take" on it.

Keep our Green Blue, not Yellow

We have just seen today that the Yellow Fever are going to template submissions for people to complete as well as solicit the local football clubs to support them.

We encourage all members to complete a submission AGAINST the proposal and we will have people at the club next week on Old-Timers Day to assist.

More to come later in the week - in the meantime get your submissions completed and in to the Council.

LAMENT FOR PETONE REC The word is out they want to take that treasured swathe of green,
And make a brand new stadium there, where football can be seen.
The eateries and bars it’s claimed will hum down Jackson Street,
As Phoenix crowds will flock to see the magic dancing feet.
But pause a bit and think what problems this all shields,
The loss of many a cricket pitch and many rugby fields.
Where will the many boys and girls chase future rugby balls?
To turn them into household names adorning hallowed halls.
And what of other users too, who walk and run and play,
Or walk their dogs or eat their lunch and pass the time of day?
There’s parking and congestion too for those who live around,
And higher rates and hidden costs in fine print will abound.
And all for what, a few home games, which can be played elsewhere,
Especially since the Westpac ground, was once the Phoenix lair.
And we are all still paying for that and need no extra charge,
For stadia that no one wants, although they figure large,
In annual plans and Council views of how the Hutt should grow,
But we don’t want to lose the Rec and we must tell them so.

This poem was written by local resident Richard Willis who is father of Olympian Nick Willis.

Nick commented, “Compared to the rest of the Hutt, Petone is such a concrete jungle. Very few of the streets have grass verges next to the footpaths. Very few trees. It would be sad to see the Rec. go.”

FYI - YF get a mention (highlighted) in last paragraph. From the 'Village Viewpoint'.

Anyone going to the CFT meeting/session at the Workers Club tomorrow night?

Wow, it's starting to get quite lonely on the pro side of this equation. So we now have Nimbys, cricket, rugby & sportsville (whatever that is) anti vs YF in favour. I'll chuck a submission in for sure, but it's starting to feel a bit like putting money on a donkey.

Why aren't the club being more vocal on this? Surely they're the only ones who can really promote this (and it shouldn't be left to the fans) as HCC need to be seen to be impartial. If they had been in the papers every week with a new shiny picture and someone else on board that they'd won over (e.g. rugby, cricket), this would look a lot different.

 

I can't mate, we're recording podcast. But would be really keen on hearing what was said (especially if our ad makes any ripples).

 

Sportville? Really. They're not even a thing.

Anyway. It's actually not as lonely as it seems. You've also got the Petone retailers/business lobby and the Petone Workingman's Club on the pro side. They are large organisations, with substantial heft, but they conduct their discussions in house rather than at public meetings. So it's actually not as lonesome over here as it might seem.

 

Sportville? Really. They're not even a thing.

Anyway. It's actually not as lonely as it seems. You've also got the Petone retailers/business lobby and the Petone Workingman's Club on the pro side. They are large organisations, with substantial heft, but they conduct their discussions in house rather than at public meetings. So it's actually not as lonesome over here as it might seem.

Anyone know where Weltec stand on it?