From the spoof Volcadium news article:

"This promise for the future and the integration of the stadium into an overall plan for Auckland has been an important consideration for all political parties and the various local authorities."

If only that were so! My biggest fear is that as a small nation we are going to pour a whole lot of money into the World Cup, upgrading rugby parks all around the country not just Auckland. And then, in 2012, all the rugby fans will go back to their home countries and we will be left with a huge and costly sports infrastructure that will never be filled to capacity.

If only the Government and the Auckland councils had a long-term strategy of how this all fitted into the overall plan for the development of Auckland. In all the Community Outcome meetings I attended over the last 12 months, this certainly never came up.

I am warming to the Stadium New Zealand plan, but too many questions remain for me to be comfortable.

If I hadn't read your post I would have been left with the quick impression I got from skimming over the Herald headlines online from my position in exile in the Land of the 'Free' (TM). Although I didn't bother reading the article because I figured it would be hyped up trash, I didn't expect it to be based on the opinion of one blogger!

I might have to be more careful about reading Herald headlines in the future. However, the reason I still check the website regularly is that it at least has some semblance of balance and journalistic integrity as opposed to the ultra-partisan media over here.