'My dream': Christchurch mayor wants city at centre of possible Commonwealth Games bid

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger believes the city has what it takes to be at the centre of the Commonwealth Games once again if a successful bid to host it can be made.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday it has registered early interest in hosting the 2034 tournament.

New Zealand last hosted the games in 1990. It also hosted them in 1950 and Christchurch was the host city for the 1974 games.

Mauger has previously spoken about his desire to see the games return to New Zealand.

“I think it’s absolutely fantastic,” Mauger said.

“I’m pleased to see the Olympic Committee has embraced my dream - being the leader that I am.”

Mauger said he has had a conversation with ChristchurchNZ about what role the city would play in hosting a tournament.

He believed Christchurch would be the ideal location for “the hub” of the games, where the administration of the tournament would be based.

This could mean the opening and closing ceremonies may be hosted in Christchurch.

[The chief executive of ChristchruchNZ] is well on top of it, we get along really well and she sees my enthusiasm. I sold her the dream.”

Christchurch was the host city for the 1974 games. More than 1200 athletes and 372 officials flooded the city over nine days and public attendance was strong.

The main venue at the time was QEII Park, which seated 25,000 and was built specifically for the 1974 games.

QEII Park was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.

Now the $683 million Te Kaha stadium is being built and the city boasts the modern Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub, which has track and field facilities, hockey pitches and tennis courts.

Mauger said he grew up across the road from QEII Park while it was being built for the games.

“I spent my formative years sneaking behind the fence, seeing how it was being built,” the mayor said.

“It was good - it brought the city together and at the time, the year before I left school I didn’t know about what was happening with the economy, it broke the city.”

But Mauger believes Christchurch is now in much better shape to host the tournament.

“I’d like to see us become the hub of New Zealand for the games.”

But he conceded there was no need for the city to swallow the whole cake, with other locations across the country able to provide the necessary infrastructure for the competition.

“We don’t need to build a velodrome, there’s two of those in the country already.

"We don’t need a rowing lake, one day we maybe hope to, but rather than spend lots of money on things we haven’t got, it’s better to spend less money on the things we have got.”

Mauger was in Auckland for the draw of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, he spoke with Grant Robertson at the time about his dream to see Christchurch’s sporting heyday return.

“He said it would be good to spread it out, everyone has to have a feed,” Mauger said.

When asked if the Government might push the cost of hosting a tournament onto local councils like his, Mauger said: “The benefit we get out of showcasing New Zealand through the games is fantastic.

"Normally we did it ourselves it would be a hell of a cost. So we’d want to spread it around.”

-By Nathan Morton