Northland Event Centre

The Whangarei District Council in New Zealand has given the new Northland Event Centre the green light. The centre in located at Okara Park which is nested in an industrial area and near the residential area of Morningside. The old ITM Rugby Stadium was built in 1965 and is not up to standard to host rugby games or any major functions. The buildings have been demolished to make way for the new construction of a multipurpose event centre in the same space. The new regional event centre will consist of two new grandstand and terraces to accommodate for 24,319 people, changing rooms and other service and official rooms, a grass field for sporting events, concerts and any other outdoor events and also office space. The budget is $16 million which is only a fraction of the original proposed cost of $40 million.^[1] The proposal of the multipurpose event centre became very controversial but despite that, all the correct procedures have been taken to take care of the reasons protesters had against the stadium being built.^[2]

Before the new event centre was proposed there was only a selection of venues and stadiums with limited amounts of seating. The number of people that the existing venues and stadiums could cater for minimised the number of large events, concerts, plays or musicals that would occur in Whangarei, simply because Whangarei’s venues could only hold a certain number of people. Forum North Centre holds only 400 people for concerts, musicals, plays or functions. This is only a function venue and not for sporting events. The Rugby League park facilities have been neglected. For example there is no fencing to stop people from not paying and no money has been spent to keep the venue up to national league standards.

Kensington Park is a park that is open to the public to use as long as there is no organised sport already playing. It has large grass fields for cricket, rugby, field hockey, and athletics and for recreational use. Kensington Park however only has one block of changing rooms and toilets. The park does not have a hall or an outdoor community stage facility for concerts or functions. Kensington Stadium is Whangarei's only established full multi-use facility. It can be used for such sporting events and tournaments for basketball, netball, volleyball, indoor soccer, badminton and other sports, also the facility can be used for functions and concerts it also has kitchen and office facilities, with shower and toilet blocks. However has limited seating though. The Whangarei Netball Association has very well maintained and new netball courts, specifically for the Northland netball games.

Hockey Turfs, Only for Northland Hockey games. The Northland Hockey Association has two well kept astro water turfs but inadequate turfs mean that the junior teams have to play on the grass and alternate weeks.

Whangarei has parks, fields and stadiums that are specific to the sport that is based there. Whangarei does not have a very large multipurpose stadium that caters for both many various sporting codes and also for the arts such as dramas, musicals, concerts and functions, that can either play or perform at the same multipurpose event centre.^[3].

When the word was out to the public that the Whangarei District Council was going to upgrade the past ITM Stadium and turn it into a multipurpose event centre, it became a hot topic of gossip. At present^[when?] the Northland region has a population base approximately 148,000 people. This figure spreads through cities, towns and communities with the land area of 13,800 square km. The population of Whangarei is 74,500, Kaipara 18,000 and in the Far North 56,000 people.^[4]

From these statistics we^[who?] can see that the issue would have had a vast amount of interest. There were many people for the new multipurpose event centre but also there were many that were against it too.

For and against

Protesters were concerned about the traffic congestion in and around the residential area of Morningside and also in the industrial area near Okara Park. The Whangarei District Council roading manager and the Whangarei Police are establishing a traffic management plan to minimise congestion. Also plans are in place to upgrade the intersections and parking facilities near Okara Park to help with the traffic issues that were raised as a concern from the public. The level and amount of noise was an issue that was raised by protesters. They did not want long concerts playing for many days also they were against the event centre due to the sound system that would be used at the events such as at a rugby game. Council have imposed conditions to limit the number of concerts and events that are held at the event centre to reduce the amount and level of the noise. They also have imposed conditions on the length of any event and also decibel ratings particular events can reach before it is not acceptable. Local residents and protesters were against the event centre as they felt the lighting would significantly go beyond the site boundaries. In the process council have sourced expert advice to minimise the effects that happened previously at the old stadium.^[5]

Protesters we against the development because of their rates would increase to help contribute to the new stadium. Protesters were refusing and unhappy with having to pay a $33 regional council levy for the new facility at Okara Park. As they feel that rugby is a professional sport and shouldn’t be subsidised by rate payers, especially pensioners. They also fear that the stadium could become a liability.^[6] Members of the public also worried about council keeping to the budget of $16 million.^[1]

Protesters were also upset as they thought the central focus of the stadium would be rugby and that the stadium would have narrow use and that they stadium was not worth the cost to rate payers if it was not going to cater for a wide range of uses and the stadium would not promote the general fitness of the community. Some existing businesses and organisations were against the new event centre as they felt it would turn the development of the present Kensington Park around to being run at a loss and for at least the next 10 years. Some protesters felt pressured into being persuaded to be a part of the new event stadium.^[7]

Many people were for the new event centre as it was extremely convenient to accommodate for various events and to be based at the one area (the new event centre). Also they agreed for the event centre as to have all the opportunities that it could bring to the city based in one event centre would mean the cost to have concerts, shows, musicals and many sporting codes there would be cheaper than council individually paying out money to each stadiums or organisations for their particular sport. For example the indoor bowls and gymnastics along with many other sports were given the opportunity to be based at the event centre and the centre would accommodate their sporting requirement. Athletics also were given the opportunity as their grandstand facility costs $9.25 million and they want council to pay $5.5 million of that, when they could be at the same event centre for only $2 million on the price of the stadium and have a saving of over 7 million.^[8]

The grounds will be available to various sports such a rugby, league, soccer and field hockey, only naming a few. This also allows the opportunity for sports such as field hockey in the winter when the council close down the Kensington Park due to wet grounds that they could shift the game to the new Northland event centre. This is providing us^[who?] with variation of alternate grounds which will be very effective as we cannot control the weather in the winterless north. A south stand will be constructed to allow the rugby union to host night games during the Air NZ NPC Cup games. Supporters are already seeing the attraction that this will bring with allowing NPC night games. They are also in favour as the Northland Rugby Union have invested $13 million of the cost of the new event centre and the Whangarei District Council have invested a small amount of $3 million as each resident will only pay a tiny^{[clarification needed]} fraction of this figure.^[9]

Supporters of the event centre were aware of the Rugby World Cup in 2011 approaching in the near future and also had the ideas in their mind that this international phenomena would bring with it vast amounts of money into New Zealand’s economy. Furthermore as Whangarei was announced to host two of the pool games during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the supporters were in favour of the construction of the event centre due to the rewards the Whangarei business and residents would get form it. The two pool games are to be held in September between Tonga and Canada on 14 September 2011 ^[10] and the second between Tonga v Asia 1.^[11] This would inject vast^{[clarification needed]} amounts of money into the Whangarei economy as the international team’s, supporters of the World Cup will spend money through means of entertainment, corporate hospitality, accommodation, Internet, supermarket, restaurants, clubs, pubs and tourism events etc.

Residents are also for the Events Centre construction as in the early days of development it has delivered solid economic benefits to local Northland businesses and also other parts of New Zealand. This is great for businesses especially in the economic economy situation of New Zealand at the moment and therefore this project has their support.

Rugby World Cup is the world’s third largest single code sporting event.^[12]

The event centre has a 200 seat convention centre for the corporate hospitality. Facilities include lounges, carpets, corporate boxes, function rooms, doors and communication systems to the demands of Northland. therefore the plans are specific to Northland and not to higher standards and the demands and needs of the Auckland stadiums.

However this has attracted support as the refurbished Okara Park will have similar facilities to Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium in the bid to attract international games and non sporting functions, this made the proposal very attractive.^[13]

This has also supported the residents who agree as they feel the event centre is for the demands and needs of Whangarei and it works within a reasonable budget of $16 million.^[14]

Other infrastructure the event centre is having constructed is the new grandstands and terraces which are intended to cater for 24,319 people, changing rooms, shops and retail opportunities (6200 m²), Office space (5510 m²), conference centre to hold 100 people with kitchen facilities. The event centre is a key piece to social infrastructure. The old facilities have served the Whangarei region for the past 40 years which now has reached the end of their economic life. Rugby is not the focus of the event centre. The event centre will provide opportunity for the Northland region to have a quality and well planned and equipped venue for major sporting, cultural and family events.^[15]

Supports were also in favour of the new event centre as they could see the similarly between them (Northland) and Southland. Comparing the two, Southland has a similar size population (southland about 1/3 fewer people than Northland) and Southland are building a new international quality velodrome alongside the events, and revamped rugby facilities. Southland does not have the same conference facilities as Northland will have so this gives Northland a better opportunity to compete for a larger share of the conferences market, worth $1 billion a year nationally.^[16]

The plan to construct such a event centre that can cater for a various amount of large sporting or cultural events has been through all the correct procedures and through meetings from and between the Whangarei District Council, the Northland Rugby Union, Whangarei Police, the public of Whangarei and also other businesses and organisations that were affected. The proposal has got the consent and the event centre is being built and underway.^[when?]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "Study to assess Northland events centre". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10482976&pnum=0. Retrieved 1 November 2011. 
2. ^ Whangarei District Council. (2006). Whangarei District Council Decision. Whangarei, New Zealand: Conway Stewart. Retrieved 18 March, 2009
3. ^ Event Finder Limited: Venues in Whangarei. (2009).Retrieved 18 March, 2009
4. ^ Northland New Zealand. (2009). People and Population. Retrieved 18 March, 2009
5. ^ Whangarei District Council. (2006). Whangarei District Council Decision. Whangarei, New Zealand: Conway Stewart. Retrieved 18 March, 2009
6. ^ "Objection to Whangarei Stadium". Television New Zealand. Radio New Zealand. 12 July 2006. http://tvnz.co.nz/content/785189. Retrieved 1 November 2011. 
7. ^ Eves, T. (14 May 2008). Controversy as council revives Okara Park upgrade. Whangarei Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
8. ^ Eves, T. (2008, May 14). Controversy as council revives Okara Park upgrade. Whangarei Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
9. ^ Ali, I. (2009, January 23). Smart take on stadium project. Whangarei Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
10. ^ Tonga v Canada RWC 2011 Retrieved Sept, 2009
11. ^ Walton, D. (12 March 2009). World Cup 2011 schedule released. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
12. ^ Ali, I. (2009, March 14). Cup coup kicks off big plans for hotel. Whangarei Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
13. ^ Ali, I. (2009, January 23). Smart take on stadium project. Whangarei Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
14. ^ Ali, I. (2009, January 23). Smart take on stadium project. Whangarei Northern Advocate. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
15. ^ Whangarei District Council. (2008). Need for multi-events centre unchanged. Whangarei, New Zealand: Mark Farnsworth. Retrieved 22 March, 2009
16. ^ Enterprise Northland. (2007, March 28). Up North. Retrieved 18 March, 2009