Ah, rugby is back in Canterbury at last and I am most grateful for all those who have contributed to providing me with a temporary facility to view my rugby. Ooops, did I say temporary?
This got me to asking what is temporary, and when does temporary become permanent?
Christchurch’s earthquake-damaged stadium has been replaced with an apparently temporary $30,000,000 investment (yes, thirty million dollars).
Is that much money spent on any facility ever going to be a temporary fix, or is it is only as temporary time and money will allow? Will it be a long wait for a permanent construction to be raised?
As great as having a temporary facility may be, this temporary fix is looking very much like a sub-standard permanent arrangement.
‘Temporary’ provides many cupboards and hiding holes for those who don’t or won’t provide answers to questions asked. In researching this article I endeavoured to obtain a clear timeline, but those I needed to ask were unavailable while those I did manage to collar were evasive or deflective.
“Be grateful you have something,” I was generally informed.
After two years of rugby starvation, I am gratefuly. But when the gloss and euphoria wears off from opening night, the reality sets in of looking forward to a nagging cold Antarctic winter wind, to wet rain dripping down my neck, to the crunch of frosted grass and the discomfort of getting to and from the ground in July.
It makes me wonder how long I am expected to accept that this is only a temporary venue?
The park’s first game was brilliant. I love the great atmosphere of the Crusader horses charging around on a warm clear night, the crowd full of expectation; the grunting, snorting and liniment emanating from the players, all by being so wonderfully close to them; in fact, “It’s so real it’s almost like being there”, as the TV adverts of yesteryear would say. Ah, the boys were filled with happiness.
Yes, I am grateful that I can watch my footy again, but when I look over my shoulder at the wonderful, warm, cosy, facility of Dunedin, I wonder why there could not have been a little longer than the 100 days taken, a bit (nay a lot) more money spent to up put a permanent 40,000 stadium that would keep everyone warm and dry on the coldest of Canterbury nights. That would help entice us to every game.
Instead we are expected to endure a sail-clothed wind-tunnel for the next five years (that being the shortest amount of temporary time that I have heard to date). We are expected to be grateful, to stop moaning and to simply up with it.
Somehow, I think not. Until we move away from this broken city’s quick-fix mentality and build permanent structures that people will use, I may need to spit the dummy and revert to a temporary, five-year cosy, warm, Antarctic-wind-free lounge room, and give my TV a similar temporary five-year workout.
Samvandamn
Guest
Mate you are lucky this is printed on an Australian website as you would get verbally destroyed in NZ. The stadium was rushed to completion to accommodate local rugby. There is a lot bigger fish to fry in Christchurch than a comfy stadium so that Michael Warren can enjoy a game of Rugby all cosy and nice. I could go on but I wont.
Sylvester
Guest
Also, the last figure I saw quoted for the insurance payout was around $130 million.
Sylvester
Guest
In reality, the Crusaders couldn't wait for this superdome to be built. Playing one season on the road practically brought one of the most financial franchises to its knees. It took more than two years for FB Stadium to be built. Plus, add in the fact some Cantabs still haven't been paid out insurance on their homes after the best part of 18 months, for claims around $300K. Can't imagine them racing to pay Vbase $180 million....
allblackfan
Guest
Both sides to this argument carry merit. And you can rightfully argue that the money could have been better spent elsewhere: I fully agree. However ... in a city battered by natural disaster (I've gone through a few although none on the magnitude of the CChurch quake), there is a real and pressing need for the occasional light relief (especially during the cold months of winter). To continually focus on the trauma of the past is to invite severe mental depression (which can lead to an upsurge in violence and especially domestic violence); sometimes you simply need to take a break from it for an hour, perhaps two. The prospect of watching your favourite footy team play for 80 minutes in a week full of issues like emergency accommodation, feeding the family and keeping them healthy, finding work, rehabilitating your house (if you are lucky enough) can provide some mental relief and boost your spirits. Not that it should be the only thing but every little bit helps. Also think about the tangible side benefits, teams like the Cheetahs visiting will provide a very small but necessary boost to CChurch's economy. Hospitality jobs ( a big casualty of any natural disaster) remain intact; people keep their jobs which means they can feed their family and help repair their properties etc etc.
Michael Warren
Roar Guru
The information from those ducking and diving after 18 moths is that the old AMI stadium is munted and when pulled down for a suggested cricket ground, the insurance payout is $180M. When $30M is added it is almost that which would be needed if a 30-40,000 seat stadium was to be build buying, modifing and expanding the already available plans of Dunedin. Living in this Quakeandshake City it would be great to see permanentcy rather than temporary as Christchurch quakes will be going for years. By delaying good long term construction serves no purpose. Being isolated in your own country during the biggest rugby event on the planet was a horrendious blow and we don't want to be continually ostracised further from future events. As a correction to some of the thinking here, money for stadiums do not come from that which is paid for munted personal properties.
Matt
Guest
It's called priorities, lets get our city back open and running before we worry about a permanent stadium.
Katipo
Guest
Christchurch Stadium is built in a bad area in terms of vehicle access and parking. It doesn't have a roof. I think it's fair of Michael Warren to ask if the $30m is better put towards a permanent $200m solution in a few years (and just play wherever for another year or two). Great to see a rectangular stadium though. The positive of the earthquake is that it destroyed the awful AMI Stadium which was far too big; it would have been great for AFL if they played that in Christchurch - but it was a terrible rugby arena. The capacity was also too high. Christchurch Stadium's 18,000 about right for a city the size of Christchurch. If I had a magic wand I'd replicate the Stadium Otago in Christchurch. It's about the correct capacity, rectangular and has a roof.
Sylvester
Guest
Sadly, Michael Warren is typical of a few glass-half-empty types. The new stadium looks a picture. Temporary, yes,in that no official has been made on its predecessor. However, existing AMI Stadium is the essentially goneburger. The reality is, there's no cash to splash on a grandiose indoor stadium, especially while the insurance payout on AMI is not settled.
Johnno
Guest
Why not change the name of the ground to rugby union park christchurch. Has a rugby league match been played there in a long time. Secretley it is better than old Lancaster Park coz it is closer to the ground .
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
Sounds extremely similar to a recent email we got from friends there - with a snippet about still having temporary toilets in their schools and also at the end of their street .... A new stadium would be well down on their list of priorities - Chch needs essential services prior to building a stadium to rival Dunedin
kiwidave
Guest
Re the stands close to the pitch, it's great to see a purpose built rugby stadium like that. Reminds me of the old Carlaw park.
Gumboot
Roar Rookie
@Paula Your comment trumps Michael's.......like I've said previously I wouldn't know and take my comments with a pinch of salt but your comments put things into perspective.
Paula
Guest
Unfortunately there are a lot of Michael Warren's in Christchurch at present. They live in relatively unaffected areas of the city, with cosmetic damage or at least they are still able to live in their homes. For him to say that we should get over the 'feel sorry for us attitudes' is pretty hard to take when your house is red stickered, you have gone through your insurance accommodation allowance, you are paying a mortgage on a house you can't live in and constantly looking for cheaper rentals. Who in NZ has a 14 month supply of 'emergency money'? That all being said, yes, I think it was great to see the Crusaders play again. I simply wish that the same amount of effort was put into the people still living in absolutely miserable conditions ... it's really all about priorities. CERA should have always had a two pronged approach - have a construction team working on the CBD/stadium and a large team working to assist residents. So far all the media hype about a rebuild (apart from the stadium) is simply that - hype as homeowners approach another winter.
Gumboot
Roar Rookie
Michael...."2. Lets get over the earthquakes feel sorry for us atitude and build everything now for the future with thinking that provides long term outcomes." Take this with a pinch of salt Michael (I'm a Jaffa afterall) but in my humble opinion which counts for buggar all, what would be the point of building a new stadium whilst after-shocks are still continuing. I remember the commentator (Nisbo from memory) saying that the stands, lights etc were brought in from other stadiums for this event whether "Temporary" or not. For all of NZ's sake I'd love to see a world class stadium in CHCH but give it time.
YS
Guest
I'm guessing that the rugby league side whose home ground that is is pleased to host its Union brethren and the multi-millions that came with them. I doubt that they would ahve gotten those funds otherwise in Union mad NZ.
p.Tah
Guest
Who are we to tell a resident who has been through h*ell to be grateful for what they have?
Michael Warren
Roar Guru
Three points. 1. Is the word called "Temporary" a pseudo word for "Permanent" in reality? 2. Lets get over the earthquakes feel sorry for us atitude and build everything now for the future with thinking that provides long term outcomes. 3. The point of the article was about Temporary V Permanent where money is being spent on short term thinking, not about being grateful which I acknowledged in my opening sentence.
katzilla
Roar Guru
Yeah Sports facilities don't quite make the necessary Infrastructure list. The fact there is anything at all speaks volumes about the Chch love for sport. The point your making about it possibly being more permanent then temporary is probably true, I can't see where in the next 20 years Canterbury/Chch are going to come up with the few hundred million minimum it would take to create something similar to Lancaster. Temporary yes, a permanent in the next few decades? Maybe not.
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
News to me that the new Christchurch Stadium is only temporary. All things considered, not least the continuing aftershocks, the stadium was built in quick time and relatively inexpensively. Lancaster Park will never be rebuilt to its former standard, and it was never a good ground in which to watch rugby anyway. Cricket has opted for a Test-standard ground at Hagley Park, another nail in the coffin for Lancaster Park (or whatever it was called when the quakes struck). Given that Christchurch is still reeling from the disasters of the last 18 months, with thousands of people homeless and demolition of unsafe buildings far from complete, let alone rebuilt, Christchurch is lucky to have what looks on television like an excellent facility for rugby, and league, and soccer. But Tissot Time, quoting the Bard, says it better than I can.
Tissot Time
Guest
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child! - King Lear