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Auckland Council approves bailout for Eden Park

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 20 Mar 2019, 7:24AM

Auckland Council approves bailout for Eden Park

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 20 Mar 2019, 7:24AM

The Auckland Council has bailed out Eden Park to the tune of $63 million, and nearly $10m of that is a brand-new, no-strings grant.

Mayor Phil Goff supported a proposal from officials that the extra money, totalling $9.8m, be a no-interest loan, secured against the Eden Park assets. But by a vote of 12-10, councillors preferred the option of a grant.

Eden Park Residents' Association chairman Jose Fowler told Kate Hawkesby he was pleased the funding came in the form of a loan, instead of a grant. He says they are not the only stadium to receive funding from the council.

"A lot of other stadiums around Auckland have also received similar figures. There is nothing new in the donation they have given."

Fowler told Kate Hawkesby the funding should have come years ago when they needed it most.

"During the Rugby World Cup the council was supposed to stump up $40 million which it never did, so this is a step in the right direction.

"We need to now continue the pressure with the residents to ensure we are getting concerts to play at the venue and they can be financially viable."

The outcome was a partial defeat for the mayor Phil Goff, who wanted all the funding to be in the form of loans.

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