Time to merge stadiums

I attended the important Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) meeting where they discussed at length the options for Yarrow Stadium.

To be candid, I was impressed with the quality of the debate.

Interestingly Business and Economic Research (BERL) did a cost benefit analysis of the eight options and recommended option 4.

This is $69 million repair to the stands, increased seating and additional facilities. The TRC acknowledged this was their preferred option. However, they were financially obliged to recommend option 2, a ‘‘no frills’’ $55m repair of the stands with a minor upgrade of the facilities.

The TRC is hopeful they will source external funding so they can go with option 4. But will the NPDC help them out financially? Or is a targeted stadium rate of $76 for NPDC ratepayers (for option 2) for the next 25 years scary enough, without going for the more expensive option?

Clearly the region badly needs a multifunctional stadium and sports complex.

This venue must also include a large and versatile conference and meetings centre. Currently there’s a paucity of venues in NP that can seat more than a 1000 guests at tables.

In my opinion, it’s time to merge the TSB Stadium—which badly needs upgrading—with Yarrow Stadium. Regrettably there doesn’t seem to be much enthusiasm from ratepayers for a major upgrade of the TSB Stadium. Maybe the urgency and enormous cost of saving Yarrow Stadium will force the NPDC to pursue this option.

Why not basketball, rugby and netball at Yarrow Stadium? While rugby is part of our DNA, we must avoid the mistake of building an exclusive rugby stadium, which could be largely empty if we don’t wrest back the Ranfurly Shield and win in the (second tier) Mitre 10 Cup Championship. Bryan Vickery, New Plymouth