New Director and permanent Chairman appointed to deliver Christchurch stadium project

Christchurch City Council has this week confirmed a new permanent Chair and Director to the board of the company overseeing work on the city’s $523 million Canterbury Multi-Use Arena.

Barry Bragg, a chartered accountant who has served as a director on a number of property and commercial companies, including Ngāi Tahu Property, has been appointed Chair and businessman Gill Cox has also been appointed as a director to the stadium board and as Chairman of Venues Ōtautahi, the council-owned events company that will operate the 30,000-seat when it opens.

The appointments come after concerns came to light with the council-owned company, which was set up to provide independent governance of the city’s last remaining post 2011 earthquake anchor project.

In July, it was revealed original Chair Murray Strong and another Director, Sue McCormack, had both resigned over rising costs.

Not long after that, a review of the company found it lacked clarity about its role and responsibilities - leading to several changes.

On Tuesday, the Council confirmed Bragg, who had been interim Chair of the stadium company, would take over the role permanently.

Along with Bragg and Cox, professional board member Steve Reindler​ and property developer Richard Peebles remain on the stadium board.

Council staff have previously described the board as “key” to the success of the stadium project.

Commenting on the appointments, Christchurch Mayor, Lianne Dalziel stated “the job of delivering Christchurch a world-class arena in a time when there are supply chain issues and rising construction costs because of the coronavirus pandemic is going to be challenging.

“I am confident we have the best people for the job and that they will pull out all the stops to ensure Christchurch ends up with an arena that delivers a great visitor experience and energises the heart of our city.”

Last month, the Council voted to restore the seating capacity of the stadium to 30,000 after an earlier decision to approve a concept for a smaller design was criticised by locals. The design concept will mean that the venue is capable of hosting up to 41,000 people for concerts.

Interruptions from COVID-19 lockdowns have also been affecting some Australian and Auckland based members of the Kōtui consortium that is designing the venue.

The final design and construction contract, which should reveal the true cost of the stadium, was expected to go before city councillors in April or May next year.

Click here for the latest information on the project.

Images: Barry Bragg (top) and an artist's impression of the new venue in concert mode (below). Credit: Christchurch City Council.