There has been a lot of deliberately misleading information about both EPNA, and also that somehow Eden Park needs to change yet further to become 'sustainable'.

 EPNA has never advocated for the closure of Eden Park - and in fact refused to become involved or comment on any such suggestions over the years, including the major RWC waterfront stadium debate. Like many, we go to games and up to half the committee members have been season ticket holders at various times.

 What we have done is try to ensure that as Eden Park dramatically changed, with both night games and many more on site activities and stand redevelopments, the local and wider residential and general amenities were adequately considered and protected - as required by planning rules.

 Our approach achieved robust conditions which have improved the day to management of events. These included initiatives such as rubbish bins and porta-loos around the neighbourhood, street cleaning, notifications, traffic and parking plans. It has at times also allowed us to negotiate an agreed increase in the number of night games, with sensible effects-based conditions. We were a party to the Environment Court consent orders providing for the RWC and the re-development.

 We have also seen our factual and effects-based approach vindicated through external bodies such as the Environment Court and the Independent Unitary Plan Panel (which was in fact chaired by Eden Park’s former lawyer!)

 The number and nature of activities at the grounds have expanded substantially over the years - both physically through heights, removal of buffering houses and extension to the edges of the site, huge reductions in on site car parking, along with many new activities, such as the two new function centres, and the introduction of conferences and late night functions, including school balls etc.

 Over the last year there has been an orchestrated campaign to misrepresent our views and try and paint Eden Park as being under some sort of threat. This is patently incorrect. Eden Park has been sustainable for over 100 years, and nothing has changed in regard to that.

 It always makes a cash profit, and any 'loss' is based on depreciating a free asset gifted by taxpayers/ratepayers/charities (to the tune of over 230m in the lead-up to RWC 2011). The debt recently taken over by Council, was largely pre RWC debt, and extras that Eden Park wanted from the RWC redevelopment eg East Stand).

Any RWC re-development shortfall was to be covered through corporate box sales, and naming rights if needed.

While it is true Eden Park has very high overheads, they were still comfortable walking away from $5m a year savings through shared services with Council’s other stadiums, and also choosing not to pursue a reported $5m a year in naming rights.

 And the ultimate vote of confidence is that the Trustees have since the RWC started to take fees, and to date this is in excess of $1m since 2010 - hardly the actions of a non-sustainable stadium.

 We encourage you to delve into the issues and the factual effects of any proposals, and to look past the PR/Spin, and indeed question its purpose. But also, we find some people haven't looked at the various possible consequences of Eden Park expanding its activity to include hosting concerts.

 It runs a very real risk of us losing cricket and its wonderful 100 year plus history here. And undermining Mt Smart, would bring the Warriors here as well.

Eden Park tried and failed to get Unitary Plan rules which would allow major 9 storey developments on the No2 area - for after cricket had been moved.

There are a lot of agendas at play here, and people need to question information, and make informed decisions.

 There is no 'reasonable' number of concerts - the physical noise levels nearby would be overwhelming (as hundreds of houses are the equivalent of being within the Mt Smart grounds during the 2-3 week construction/removal period and the event(s) itself), and in the wider area it would alter a huge area's amenity, and the future perception of the area. And once started, there is no control over the type of concerts and attendees or in due course the number of concerts, as they will only ever increase, as we've seen with night games...

Update: 25 March 2019
There has been a lot of speculation around Eden Park's viability- both in the media and elsewhere.

We were aware there had been discussions around funding for quite some time and always expected Council to continue to support Eden Park.

So it's good that this support has been confirmed and that the ridiculous scare stories that Eden Park was failing and needed concerts or it would become state housing can finally be put to rest. That was never going to be the case, and we see this as reaffirming Eden Park's key sporting focus.

The taking over of Eden Park debts on favourable terms, provides interest savings on top of the annual grant of $3.2m.

To put the Council support into context, the yearly cash injection, and interest savings, make an even better contribution than hosting a Lions tour every year.

Eden Park previously walked away from cost sharing options with Council's other stadiums. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11333220

 So it was good to see that this is now likely to happen as part of Council's decision, and will add even more profit and cash to Eden Park's bottom line, and future security.

However there continues to be a campaign around concerts.

It is easy to see the issues around mitigating the noise effects on thousands of people, in the images below:

Both are at same scale, and measurements are taken from stage/speaker tower locations.

1. Firstly Mt. Smart, with a 125m measurement from speaker towers to nearest house on Walters Rd:

Now the same scale for the streets around Eden Park, based off speaker distance measurements.Showing Walters Rd on the right, running within the car park at Mt Smart. And showing Cricket/Lower Kowhai and Bellwood and
Reimers within the grounds of Mt Smart. 

Update 5 Dec 2018
Light Rail
The government and Auckland Transport are proposing that a LightRail route between Wynyard quarter and the airport pass along Dominion Rd. It has a large number of impacts on the area. We have begun investigating what details are available, as AT consultation is open until 14 Dec. The following 3 pdf documents start to bring some of the information together:

     LightRailPDF1

LightRailpdf2

LightRail pdf3

Please take the time to submit:
https://at.govt.nz/about-us/transport-plans-strategies/regional-public-transport-plan-rptp/

Update 30/7/18

Update re submissions. There was a lot of miss-information around submission numbers and support / opposition. Having now gone through submissions and removed the out of area ones (even as far as Wanaka!) we see that the majority of local submissions opposed the concert proposal.

Eden Park Trust have indicated they will withdraw their concert application.

 One again it's worth looking at the whole process/project:
Sir Avery chose the day/date for his charity concert and chose a venue where
concerts aren't permitted.
Eden Park has no noise limits worked out in the Unitary Plan for concerts.
Eden Park has tried and failed to get concerts multiple times.
Eden Park put in an application without a noise limit
Eden Park applied to work all through the concert night/next day on dismantling.
Eden Park provided no details on pack in/pack out noise.
Eden Park used noise models lower than Forsyth Barr.

Mt Smart has 39 corporate boxes, and a lounge for almost 1000. It also has numerous other areas
eg athletic track and fields for other activities.

The image below is an overlay of the closest streets around Eden Park, measured from front/centre of a stage.

Within 1 Km of Mt Smart – only 93 houses

Within 1Km of Eden Park – 4000 dwellings

It’s worth returning to the big picture.

·       Sir Avery chose the day/date for his charity concert and chose a venue where
 concerts aren’t permitted.
·       Eden Park has no noise limits worked out in the Unitary Plan for concerts.
·       Eden Park has tried and failed to get concerts multiple times.
·       Eden Park put in an application without a noise limit
·       Eden Park applied to work all through the concert night/next day on dismantling.
·       Eden Park provided no details on pack in/pack out noise.
·       Eden Park used noise models lower than Forsyth Barr.

 Over the last few months there has also been a stream of assertions that Eden Park use to underpin the need for concerts.

A half Billion $ asset. – costs/revaluations to date are $ 268m - that’s the value invested to date by rugby and cricket and the government. They have a $442m insured replacement but that’s irrelevant.

Can’t repay debts

In the last 3 years they have repaid loans of almost $3m (Loans: $52.3m in 2015, down to $49.5m as at Oct 2017). And they still have $2.3m in term investments. Most of these loans were due to extra things the Trust wanted from the RWC redevelopment eg new East stand, above that funded by the government.

They made a $4m profit last year before depreciation.
They also took $640,000 out of the wider charity fund pool for other charites via Pokie fund applications granted last year.

Eden Park always makes a profit pre Depreciation. 
While they choose to depreciate buildings faster than other stadiums, it is just an accounting entry. The previous depreciation for the old South stand wasn’t expected to fund a brand new replacement, and government funding was used instead. This will be the case for any future replacements. Therefore on a pre depreciation basis the Trust is profitable, and as above is repaying debts.

Under- utilized

Apart from major sporting events, they undertake numerous other sporting events eg No 2/training facilities etc.

They also hold 1000 functions a year, many of which a large school balls, corporate functions. And of course full daily use as offices. It is an intensively used site, and therefore had appropriate planning rules.

Will be state housing

This scare tactic was used in the “push” survey.

Factually, there is no existing proposed CBD alternative that would see Eden Park closed. And that if the region and sports codes backed a CBD option, it won’t be for another 10-15 years. Regardless of concerts. In fact if Eden Park get concerts it will reduce Council revenue, and increase our rates.

BUT – there would need to be a proper plan change done to the Unitary Plan for new uses. This would be open to submissions, appeals etc. With a large site like this, it would get a proper coordinated plan.  

At any rate as a local community, we would have a say via a Unitary Plan change.

 These assertions have taken hold with some people, so worth the actual facts above.

  Eden Park makes 6^th attempt for concerts at Eden Park

Open July2018 Newsletter 

Eden Park starts concerts push with a NO NOISE LIMIT application !!    

Put your submission in this week  - follow link below - click make a submission
Link below has full application - also see submission points below

 https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/have-your-say-notified-resource-consent/notified-resource-consent-applications-open-submissions/Pages/ResourceConsentApplication.aspx?itemId=213&applNum=LUC60321018

 Submissions close 5pm 12 July.

 Update: some people were unaware this isn’t just a one-off, but part of full concert push -these links show EP intention, prior to meeting Sir Avery, and Council view after moving speedway (allow more concerts at Eden Park):
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12005213
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12066450

Eden Park want to be "concert central". This could mean 6 concerts or more a year. To start this they have applied for a "charity" themed concert.

The application highlights their continued belief that they should have no constraints, by having no noise limit.

By applying without a noise limit, they appear to want to ignore the residential constraints and to run an event at whatever set up and noise level they want - regardless of impacts on the neighbourhood.

• This time is worse with no proposed noise limit
•  Noise model not for full concert setup/configuration and levels
•  No crowd noise modelled
•  7-8 days of setup - including a full 24hr /overnight and multiple functions
•  very late finish   
•  NO mitigation
•  If charity event doesn’t happen - can keep and vary consent to a later concert

•  Concerts are loud! 964m from Mt Smart, they record 50% more than now at  
   Walters/Cricket roads
•  No one moved here to be next to concerts
•  There is no doubt that, for most people, concerts at Eden Park will make our
   neighbourhood a less attractive area to move in to.

     

 Eden Park have applied before - declined by Independent Commissioners and Environment Court Judge. As part of the increase in night games from 16 to 25, they withdrew concerts and assured Council, the Environment Court and ourselves they would concentrate on sport and not concerts. Previous applications at least had a noise level limit proposed - albeit at a level deemed unacceptable - this one does not.

 While linked to a charity, the event itself looks fully commercial, and it doesn't detail charity funding sources. Given the charity hasn't confirmed/signed the artist, telethon parts etc, there is a very real chance that if the event doesn't go ahead after gaining consent, Eden Park Trust could keep and vary the consent (likely non-notified) to a later concert of their choosing. So relying on the "charity" element as justification, comes with risks.

Noise Details

 •  Noise levels are complex - a 10 dBA increase is a doubling (100% increase) in noise
    levels.

•  Application understates noise levels. Only uses 2 speaker arrays, with wrong location
     and height

•  Should have used 4-6 speaker arrays / some angled towards houses, height near the
   top       of Terraces and base speakers across front of the stage.

 •  And relay tower speakers hung from cranes part way down ground, and possibly
             additional 

    
Submission
•  you and your family's details / ages etc / work and school commitments the next day
•  impacts you get from full capacity events now - eg traffic, parking, crowds, disruption
   etc how this will affect you for this concert.
•  likely concert noise effects on you - distance from ground, level you expect and
   how that will impct on you nd your family
•  if you’re close to the ground, the 7-8 days of construction, all the truck movements
•  detail the impacts from the later finish time for the concert.
•  raise any areas where the application is deficient in details eg Telethon, noise of
   stage build, proper area wide noise analysis
•  also explain the cumulative impact of the concert, the 7-8 days of build/removal,
   sound testing, checks and all the normal day to day events in Feb/March.  

  

 Become a member / or update member email details.

 If you are already a member please make sure we have your current email address. If not a member you may want to join by sending send through your application and details by email.

 Please email details to: epna@epna.org.nz

Confirming that you are a member updating details or that you wish to join EPNA, and provide your name, address and email details.

 We are also going to need to build up a fund for the expert advice we’ll need.

Bank details: ASB Bank Limited 12-3016-0497668-00

 If you require a receipt, please email donation date/amount and reference on deposit to:

epna@epna.org.nz   requesting a receipt.

Please note: The Association records membership and member details. Under the 1993 Privacy Act it is necessary to inform you of this fact. The details you provide will only be used by officers of the Association to enable them to conduct the business of the Association and may not be disclosed to outside bodies. You may request a copy of you information to check its accuracy at any time.