Robertson Grant: Eden Park Trust Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading 
Robertson Grant: Eden Park Trust Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading 
[Volume:656;Page:5700] 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to take a call in this debate having served on the Government Administration Committee which considered the Eden Park Trust Amendment Bill. The committee was ably chaired by my colleague David Parker and we certainly worked in a collegial atmosphere to bring this bill back to the House. It is an honour to talk about Eden Park; despite being a Wellingtonian I can understand the importance and significance of Eden Park to all New Zealanders. It was the site of our first ever cricket test win against the West Indies in the 1950s which was a remarkable occasion. It has been the site of other great sporting achievements and we have already heard about the 1987 Rugby World Cup final. For Mr Henare’s benefit it was indeed under a Labour Government that New Zealand won its only Rugby World Cup title. 
It has also been the scene of part of our social and cultural history. No one will forget the third test of the Springbok Tour in 1981 and what went on in the area around Eden Park. I ask Mr Henare whether he was there. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I didn’t go. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: Those flour bombs missed their target then clearly. I remember as a young person watching the news footage of the event and being quite disturbed by what I saw there. Clearly Eden Park was the centre of that. When they demolished the grandstand they found the trapdoor that was used to get the Springbok rugby team in and out of Eden Park so that they did not have to run the gauntlet of the protest. It was certainly a time of huge social upheaval in New Zealand. As a 10-year-old I was well aware of where I stood on the Springbok Tour; some other members of this House are not so sure. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: As a 10-year-old? Come on! 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: I was 10 years old during the 1981 Springbok Tour. I certainly knew where I stood on the Springbok Tour at the time. Unfortunately some other members of the House are not so clear on that. Mr Key in particular was not clear at all on his position on the Springbok Tour which is remarkable for somebody at university at the time. 
I also know we have already heard quite an interesting contribution from Mr Locke about the different uses of Eden Park today particularly the split between cricket and rugby. I will return to the issue of the different responsibilities of the Auckland Cricket Association and the Auckland Rugby Football Union. It is true that a lot less cricket is now played on the Eden Park main ground. This trust deed now clarifies the use of the No. 2 ground for the Auckland Cricket Association and I know the association is happy about that. It is a ground it wants to develop. In recent years it has hosted first-class cricket finals and also the finals of the one-day cricket competition and the Twenty20 competition. I know they are looking at potentially developing it as a test venue rather than the No. 1 ground. I certainly share Mr Locke’s view that the expansion of the rugby season has seen a sense of cricket almost being forced out of venues like Eden Park. Personally I think we can find a good and better balance in that regard. 
My colleague Chris Hipkins has already talked about what the committee debated in terms of the position around the so-called “Henry VIII” clause. I will not go back over that again except to say that the committee understood and had a good dialogue with the Regulations Review Committee about the importance of being careful about such clauses. But we think this is the best outcome for the bill. It is a different arrangement here. We have a situation whereby a partnership has been created between the Auckland Cricket Association the Auckland Rugby Football Union and the Government to ensure that Eden Park is the facility we want it to be for Rugby World Cup 2011 and beyond. The special arrangements we have here are the right ones to get us through. We are certainly aware that the Regulations Review Committee had its views. We have taken them into account and ensured that we have a bill that we think will work. 
Mr Hipkins also mentioned the discussion we had around the appointment and removal of trustees. We have made some amendments to the bill in order to ensure that the concerns of the Attorney-General around the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act have been taken into account. I will refer to something that is in the commentary of the bill around the responsibilities of the trustees. We had quite long conversations in the select committee about how the trustees would be able to enact their responsibilities. This comes back to the partnership I have mentioned before. The Auckland Cricket Association and the Auckland Rugby Football Union have a long history and a long association with Eden Park. The Government is now a partner as well. It is important that as we move forward a balance is set between the responsibilities of the trustees to hold an asset and look after an asset that is for all New Zealanders given the financial contribution by the Government so that they are managing Eden Park for the broader community. 
The broader community now has a stake in Eden Park and the trustees need to be aware of that and manage it. Equally we also know that the associations are looking to maximise revenue from the ground. The revenue that is generated from Eden Park is extraordinarily significant to the wider Auckland cricket region. It is also significant to Auckland rugby. The committee has noted in its commentary: “we expect that the trust will move towards a more commercial model when other sporting codes hire the facilities which should meet the objectives of the trust as outlined in clause 4.1(b) of the trust deed. Clause 4.1(b) states that one of the objects for which the trust is continued is ‘to administer Eden Park and the Trust Assets on a prudent commercial basis so that Eden Park is a successful financially autonomous community asset’.” It is quite a difficult balance to be able to run Eden Park so that it is a community asset in the broadest sense but also so that it is commercially viable. That is the challenge that is now in front of the new trustees of Eden Park which are appointed by the Auckland Cricket Association the Auckland Rugby Football Union and the Government. The committee wanted to put that in the commentary to ensure that that balance was recognised as the bill passes through the House this evening. 
I will refer to the objects of the trust which will become part of law. It is important that we look at them in some detail so that we can see the balance the trustees have to look at. The objects of the trust are “To promote operate and develop Eden Park as a high quality multi-purpose stadium for the use and benefit of rugby and cricket … as well as other sporting codes and other recreational musical and cultural events for the benefit of the public of the Region;”. That is quite a wide-ranging object. The Auckland Rugby Football Union and Auckland Cricket Association are there primarily. Eden Park is their ground. They have developed it over the years. They continue to be the key stakeholders. The Government is now involved as well. The people of New Zealand are stakeholders through the Government. But we also want to see—and I think all members in the House want to see—Eden Park used for the widest possible range of events. We already heard this evening from a number of speakers the different events that have been held at Eden Park and we want to continue to ensure that they are held there. 
Hone Harawira 
: Rugby league. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: I would like to see rugby league obviously which is a great sport but also some musical and cultural events held there. 
The second object of the trust as I mentioned is the one that ensures that it is to be administered on a prudent commercial basis so that it is a successful financially autonomous community asset. That is the challenge in front of the trustees and I am sure they are well aware of it. The other objects of the trust make note of the partnership between the Crown the Auckland Rugby Football Union and the Auckland Cricket Association. Again I will pause here to pay tribute to the Auckland Rugby Football Union and the Auckland Cricket Association which have adopted a very flexible approach in the negotiation of the bill. I also pay tribute to the officials mainly from the Ministry of Economic Development who worked very hard to ensure an outcome that was acceptable to all parties. The committee certainly valued their advice. 
I will move through some other parts of the trust deed that I think are important to note. One of them clause 6 of the covenants is around the trustees’ responsibilities. It notes the different responsibilities of the Auckland Rugby Football Union and the Auckland Cricket Association. The Auckland Cricket Association will have preferential use rights to the No. 2 ground. 
Hone Harawira 
: But you’re from Wellington. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: I know but I care about cricket and rugby right across New Zealand. The best rugby team in New Zealand is obviously in Wellington. I thank my colleague for noting that but Auckland rugby and Auckland cricket need support as well. The Auckland Cricket Association will also have permanent use and occupation of facilities on a year-round basis and concessionary venue hire. There are concessionary terms here for the Auckland Cricket Association. That is recognition of the association’s long-term contribution to the ground and the development of the ground as there is for Auckland rugby as well. 
I can say that the entire community will benefit from this asset. The Auckland Cricket Association and the Auckland Rugby Football Union have their role in developing it and continuing to develop it. I hope Eden Park will be a community asset we can all be proud of and in 2011 when we win the Rugby World Cup we can all look at a stadium that is for all New Zealanders. Thank you. 
Bill read a second time.