Massive backing for planned 2019 charity concert at Auckland's Eden Park

A poll released by the Eden Park Trust has found that an overwhelming 91% of surveyed Aucklanders support the proposed ‘Million Babies’ concert, despite objections by from some local residents.

The survey by polling organisation found city-wide support for the proposed LifePod Appeal charity concert on Waitangi Day 2019 with 87% backing for the event from respondents in suburbs close to Eden Park.

In another question, a poll of 350 residents from nearby neighbourhoods found 75% supported the idea of up to 15 evening concerts a year, on top of its current sporting calendar.

However, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who lives near Eden Park, is one of 127 objectors to the proposed charity concert for Sir Ray Avery's LifePod incubators for premature babies, calling it a "Trojan horse" for more night concerts at the park.

The 60,000 capacity venue, New Zealand's largest stadium, has consent under the Auckland unitary plan for up to 25 night-time sports events a year.

The plan also allows for up to six night-time concerts a year, but requires the Trust to apply for an individual resource consent for each concert. No consent for a concert has ever been granted.

The Trust's application for the Million Babies event, lodged on 6th June, said noise levels during the concert, between 7pm and 10.30pm on Waitangi Day, could exceed 80 decibels for some  houses near the venue.

On 12th July, when submissions closed, the Trust announced that it would offer a noise limit as a condition for the resource consent, but it has not yet said what the limit would be.

Auckland Council said it received 360 submissions supporting the consent, 127 against and one neutral.

The Trust and the Council have agreed to send the case directly to the Environment Court so that it can be decided by October, in time to confirm what the trust called "a star-studded cast including a performance by an unrevealed music icon who has never before performed in New Zealand".

Eden Park Trust Chief Executive Nick Sautner explained “the difficulty is, we are advised it will take until the end of October and cost some hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the necessary resource consent.”

Sautner said there was "no doubt" that the proposed LifePod Appeal concert would "impact our neighbours", but added “that's why we met with the Eden Park Residents Association, the Eden Park Neighbours' Association, and representatives from the Albert-Eden Local Board prior to lodging our resource consent application.

"Since then, we engaged an expert team including environmental planners, traffic, acoustic and lighting specialists to assess the effects of a concert on the surrounding area, and then we lodged our resource consent application. All that material is publicly available."

Opponents of the ‘Million Babies’ concert appear to have sought to undermine Sautner and the Trust by sharing information on Sautner’s redundancy from Melbourne’ Etihad Stadium in 2013.

Trust Chairman Doug McKay advised on Friday that he was aware of circumstances surrounding Sautner’s leaving Etihad Stadium before he was appointed Chief Executive last year, adding that he had the Board's full support.

Images: Views of Eden Park from the air.

19th July 2018 - EDEN PARK STANDS BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE SAUTNER

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5th March 2018 - EDEN PARK LOOKS TO STAGE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS

19th February 2018 - FORMER TEST CRICKETERS BACK AUCKLAND’S EDEN PARK 

12th February 2018 - EDEN PARK ADAPTS ALL BLACKS’ DRESSING ROOM INTO WEDDING CHAPEL

7th December 2017 - ZIPLINE SOARS HIGH ABOVE AUCKLAND’S EDEN PARK

29th September 2017 - EDEN PARK TRUST APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

31st August 2017 - EDEN PARK TO HOST NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST DAY/NIGHT CRICKET TEST IN 2018 

25th August 2017 - EDEN PARK SECURES BUSINESS AWARD IN AUSTRALASIAN LEISURE MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

25th August 2017 - INDUSTRY AWARDS RECOGNISE THE BEST IN LEISURE COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING 

8th August 2017 - GUY NGATA TO LEAVE EDEN PARK FOR NEW DUBAI ARENA

18th August 2017 - EDEN PARK LAUNCHES NEW ERA IN VENUE-BASED SPORTING EVENTS

6th June 2017 - EDEN PARK READY TO HOST BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS MATCHES

16th February 2017 - EDEN PARK PREPARES FOR NEW ZEALAND’S BIGGEST STAIR CLIMB 

14th June 2016 - NICK SAUTNER RETURNS TO SPORT MANAGEMENT IN NEW POSITION AT EDEN PARK 

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