Selwyn should not help pay for new Christchurch stadium - councillor

The Selwyn district is already building its fair share of recreational facilities, and it ratepayers should not have to contribute to Christchurch’s planned stadium, says a district councillor.

Grant Miller said the Selwyn District Council had committed to a range of new facilities, as had other district councils in Canterbury, as they strived to create a network of facilities across the region.

An example was the new artificial hockey turfs at both Waimakariri and Selwyn, and a new large-scale park at Rolleston planned for 2024 to 2030.

Christchurch City Council is expected to come knocking on the doors of its neighbouring district councils as it tries to fill a $50 million hole in funding after reversing an earlier decision to reduce seating at the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena from 30,000 to 25,000.     

The $473 million project is now estimated to cost $523 million.

• Increased seating at planned stadium will cost $50m

However, while Miller said it was “too late” for Christchurch City Council to approach the district council for funding, Mayor Sam Broughton said Selwyn would consider any such request and consult with ratepayers.

Miller said the district council had already mapped out its big-project spending for the next 10 years in its long-term planning undertaken earlier this year.

The plan listed a $180 million capital spend for community services and facilities over the next 10 years, including the large-scale park at Rolleston.

Miller said the park, to be created on more than 80ha on Weedons and Levi Rds, would be Selwyn’s answer to Hagley Park and the “jewel” of the district.

The district council has just finished Foster Park and is now starting to think about what the new district-wide park might look like.

The district council has previously said the park could cater for activities such as mountain biking, walking, equestrian, as well as possibly have a botanical collection and nature space.

Miller said it was now too late for the Christchurch City Council to approach the district council for stadium funding.

“They have had ample opportunity to come and talk to us and really haven’t even approached it with us, as much as they might want to spread the costs, it’s too late really,” Miller said.

Broughton said it has not been long since the district council undertook long-term planning, allocating spending for the next 10 years. He said the community would have to play a big part before any decisions were made about additional spending such as on the planned multi-use arena.

“It’s not for me to decide, it will be our community who make that call,” Broughton said.

At the same time, Broughton did not personally support Christchurch city councillors U-turn on their decision to make the project more affordable by reducing seating to 25,000, although he could understand why they did that. 

“Personally, I like to be in a stadium that’s full, it creates a better atmosphere,” Broughton said.

Waimakariri district Mayor Dan Gordon said his council was also open to a funding conversation, but it needed to involve all Canterbury councils and wide community consultation.

Hurunui district Mayor Marie Black said the district was small and it could be too much of a financial burden to contribute funding. 

Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown has previously said his council would keep an open mind. However, like Miller, he believed it was too late for the city council to ask for stadium funding now.

Environment Canterbury has the capability of rating residents throughout the region, and some mayors believe this could be considered.

However, ECan has been non-committal about this prospect, considering no approach has been made by the Christchurch City Council.