By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Waimakariri’s council boss is not amused with a belated request to contribute to the running costs of Christchurch’s new stadium.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger has formally written to his Waimakariri and Selwyn counterparts and to Environment Canterbury chairperson Peter Scott asking the three councils if they would be willing to contribute to the operating costs of Te Kaha, Christchurch Stadium.

Waimakariri District Council chief executive Jeff Millward said the council would consider the matter in the coming weeks, but any contribution would be subject to full consultation with ratepayers.

‘‘From the designs, it looks like a fantastic facility, but we were never consulted and we haven’t been included in coming up with the design features.’’

It was unclear whether ratepayers would be asked for a fixed charge, or whether it would be based on distance or on capital value.

‘‘We can’t go out to the community until we understand what that looks like,’’ Millward said.

He acknowledged Waimakariri ratepayers contributed to the Canterbury Museum, but that was subject to Government legislation, so any stadium contribution would likely be voluntary.

In the letter, Mauger acknowledged the Christchurch City Council had decided to build the stadium and would fund its construction.

But he stressed the stadium would provide benefits to the wider region.
A 2019 report suggested Te Kaha’s operating costs were likely to exceed its income by $4.2 million a year, which would cost Christchurch ratepayers an average of $144 a year without outside support.

The $683 million Te Kaha project will have a seating capacity of 30,000 for sports events and is due to be completed in 2026.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.