Stadium Stupidity Rules Supreme

Students are today stunned that the DCC is continuing ahead with a blatantly unviable stadium proposal, and wasting further funding that could be better spent on necessary infrastructure in the city.

The proposed stadium can not be built in time for the 20011 World Cup, and even if it could be it won’t even attract a significant game in fact it’s not even guaranteed to get any top level games ever, so why would the DCC bend over backwards to advance this expensive project instead of the many necessary infrastructure items the city actually needs? asks OPSA president Richard Mitchell.

Furthermore, the location is utterly flawed. Transport in and out will be worse than the present Carisbrook, parking is already a nightmare, and we won’t mention the effect dumping a stadium in an area with existing behaviour problems will have warned Mr Mitchell.

“I very much doubt people in Maori Hill would like a stadium plonked in their backyard and, in reality, most students are no different. The area is largely residential and not all students actually want to be kept awake at night with rugby games and loud bands. Speaking of bands, along with the other dubious multi-use claims, I doubt loud concerts, motor-cross, etc will be heard there after the folk in Waverly hear the noise travel across the harbour on a still night” warned Mr Mitchell.

“Indeed, the multi-use aspects of the stadium are very limited to the point where it really is primarily and predominately only a rugby stadium, Dunedin simply can’t afford a new rugby stadium” said Mr Mitchell.

The cost is a serious issue that will be the nail in the proposal’s - and the city’s coffin. Anyone who believes the folly that it can be built for less per seat than the Cake Tin is dreaming. Especially since we will likely have to pay interest on a significant loan as well. Not to mention the now necessary higher roof and deeper foundations. Why the DCC are continuing to waste thousands of dollars a day on research for a stadium we can not afford is beyond belief.

It has become evident that even most one-eyed rugby supporters are not too keen for a massive rates hike to fund the stadium, so the DCC are scrabbling about to find assets to sell; let’s just hope that it is not further necessary infrastructure they sell to fund an unnecessary stadium.

As an outgoing student president it especially angers me to see local government become a slave to an unnecessary and vastly expensive project that should be user-pays funded - while whenever we suggest something of mutual and lasting benefit to the city (e.g. fare-free buses) we’re told sorry there is not enough money.

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