Posts by Manakura
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O for fucks sake can we not make this about some petty Auckland vs the rest shouting match. (Altho Clarke is pretty funny. heheh.) We all have a right to join the debate about what this new stadium should be as we are all paying for it (we meaning Aotearoans) and it is apparently being constructed in our name. This whole parochial bullshit is soo old and it is detracting from the real issue, which is building a decent stadium in the right place. How about any time a wanker makes any hint at some imaginary conflict between any major NZ cities we just ignore them, wherever they are from, hmm?
Now back to the issue at hand: Tom Beard is right, the inherent nature of a sports stadium is that designing one that is interesting and challenging is well nigh impossible - although I always thought 'Caketin' was a compliment, I love cake so let them have it! -which is one more reason why I don't want any stadium on the waterfront. There are so many better things we can do down there.
Also, since it will be taxpayers money going into this, isn't a robust debate in everyones favour? Imagine the stink that gets kicked up if we just let all those monkeys from ACC and parliament build their pipedreams and it doesn't get finished in time or costs billions. Just because there is disagreement it doesn't mean there is 'infighting', like I said earlier, no matter what city/town/bush shack you live in people are always going to want to have a say in how their environment is shaped.
Frankly, I would rather the RWC final went to Jade Stadium than having some monstrosity plonked on Bledisloe or Cook wharves. And considering the design, engineering, and time issues, the waterfront is the most likely site for a monstrosity to occur, despite best intentions.
Whatever happens, whether it is Eden Park, Carlaw Park, the waterfront or Jade Stadium that gets the nod, we all need to make sure that we keep the idiots we elect on their toes to ensure that we get something at least half decent.
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I am noticing that is mostly people from out of Auckland that are getting a bit shirty about the notion of having a healthy debate about a major public project. Compie, and the rest: after decades of having greedy developers and vain politicians ruin our urban environment you cant blame concerned citizens of Auckland wanting to ensure it doesn't happen yet again. I think the ranting about Auckland vs the rest of the country, and that we sceptical Jafas are "prophets of doom" is a bit melodramatic mate.
Sure call us snippy and whatever you like, but people are all fairly similar everywhere - remember the mad debate about that bridge in ChCh? Everyone just wants to make sure 'they'/we/everyone doesn't fuck it up. The precise point of so many people being sceptical is that we know all too well the costs of allowing mediocrity to become the norm in urban design.
Also, I have a love of interesting architecture, Frank Gehry is one of my favourites, along with Gaudi, and I am sure both would look at the images being floated about and agree, it looks like a goddam haemorrhoid cushion, and its boring. If I thought we could do that site on the waterfront justice, I would be all for it. BUT, as previous posters have noted, there is something fishy about the way this is being rushed through without any public debate.
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I am always loathe to build on greenbelts but I have to agree, that part of domain is a not exactly accessible to the public, nor would it be worth accessing.
Tony, the waterfront is not the best site, it has its advantages to be sure, but the drawbacks - cost (does anyone really beleive its only going to cost $500 mil!?), engineering issues, that not many Aucklanders want it, the inconvenience to the 1 billion dollar shipping industry, and the potential for time and cost overruns (far more likely on this site than any other) make it a dodgy prospect.
If anyone wants to let the council know what they think, (not they seem particularly interested!) I suggest trying this email address: mayor@aucklandcity.govt.nz or go here http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/contact/ for other contact details
Re: Aucklanders aversion to PT, true, but we haf wayz to make zem valk! For example, we put money into ensuring the trains run on time. a discount on tickets to matches purchased with PT tickets could also be a goer. I personally like the idea of impounding all SUV's found in the city fringe on match/concert nights for say 30 days, or forever...
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My opinion of my fellow Jafas has gone up after reading the overwhelming opposition to a waterfront stadium, (I think the artistic impression so far look like Haemorrhoid cushions), about %75 of 2400 respondents in a NZ Herald Poll said no.
There are two questions about this no one seems to have answered yet:
How is a stadium is public space, which is consistently being touted as part of any floating haemorrhoid cushion stadium? Can I wander down there on a Sunday arvo with mates and have a friendly game of touch, followed by a BBQ and a few cold ones? Not likely, even minus the coldies.
And, why is private ownership of land suddenly a barrier to development for the government? We have such a rich history of confiscating land in this country that I think depriving the poor developer of his patch at Carlaw Park should be a cinch, and its not as though Clark's crew is out of practice. I beleive the Public Works Act would serve us right here, don't even need to draft up special legislation this time.
I think it is amusing (in a black comedy kind of way) that the same bunch of theives that could ram through legislation to legalize illegal use of taxpayers funds in one day, are scared of offending one greedy little property developer - yo Mallard (cue lame duck jokes) he probably doesn't like ya anyway!
Carlaw Park seems to be the sensible option, having the same same benefits and drawbacks as the waterfront re: PT and use of public land, but it wont wreck anyones view, and its not likely to sink or become an aquatic park due to rising sea levels... well not in the next decade anyway.
Anyone know where/how one can put pressure on Mayor Hubbard and the ACC to reconsider there options? Or is public consultation yet again not a priority?
BTW according again to the NZHerald, the number of ACC councillors supporting Carlaw Park actually outnumber those supporting the Haemorrhoid Cushion, (9 to 7) yet they are described as 'rebels'??