ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Good on Christchurch for securing a bigger stadium

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 13 Aug 2021, 5:15PM
(Photo / Supplied)
(Photo / Supplied)

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Good on Christchurch for securing a bigger stadium

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 13 Aug 2021, 5:15PM

I'm stoked on behalf of Christchurch that they’ve been able to secure a bigger stadium. 

Good on them for fighting their council publicly, getting a petition going, turning up to the meeting and forcing the right outcome. 

Of course Christchurch should always have gone for a 30,000 seat stadium instead of a 25,000 seat stadium.

It’s so much harder to get All Blacks games for anything smaller than 30,000 seats and this is Crusader country.

They have to have All Blacks games.

No one understands like the people of Christchurch do the value of a venue.

They’ve gone so long without good infrastructure. 

They know it’s important to a city. 

The problem with councils - I think Councillor Jamie Gough said this about the Christchurch Council he’s on - is they can’t tell the difference between spending money and investing money.  

Investments often cost a lot more than you actually want to spend at the time.  

But when you look back in twenty years - with the benefit of hindsight - you realise it was cheap compared to what you’d pay in today’s money. 

Just think about the first house you bought: Pricey at the time, but comparatively cheap now, and you’re always better off having got in when you did. 

Same with this. 

I’d like to see more of this kind of engagement and pressure from ratepayers around the country. 

We can force our councils to make the right calls if we just care as much as the people of Christchurch did about this stadium. 

So, good on you Christchurch.   

Can’t wait to come watch a game in your flash new stadium. 

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you