Shift stadium focus: Vandervis
MATTHEW LITTLEWOOD
Lee Vandervis
DUNEDIN City Councillor Lee Vandervis is calling for the city to shift its aspirations for the stadium, after the sudden departure of its boss.
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive Paul Doorn spoke of a host of events likely to be ‘‘in the pipeline’’.
But Cr Vandervis was more cynical.
‘‘With no major concert for two years since Pink, and limited rugby use of the Forsyth Barr Stadium, it is difficult to see what Mr Doorn could have done given the constraints of a delicate turf, increasingly few major events and the increasing costs of getting events this far south.
‘‘Dunedin’s small population with lowest average disposable income of any New Zealand City combined with higher fuel costs and Christchurch’s many new stadium advantages means we must reimagine the stadium as a community asset rather than an international draw-card for Dunedin.’’
Cr Vandervis proposed a ‘‘fully synthetic turf’’ and a ‘‘much lower cost operating model along similar lines to the Edgar Centre’’ for the stadium.
‘‘Continuing delusions of major events and multimillion-dollar spends by visitors will continue to worsen DCC’s already unsustainable debt and development prospects as the stadium bleeds ever more for maintenance, interest costs and promotion budgets.
‘‘Hopefully, Mr Doorn’s replacement will see the potential for everyday stadium use by allowing community events and sports with a new slim operating model that allows affordable everyday use for Dunedin citizens that have paid so much for it.’’ matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz
Lee Vandervis - lee@vandervision.co.nz 