Canterbury Multi-Use Arena

The New Zealand Government and Christchurch City Council jointly committed to explore the feasibility of a new multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena, including a stadium, on NZ Government land in the city centre. The decision followed damages sustained to AMI Stadium (previously Rugby League Park) and Lancaster Park during the 2011 earthquake the NZ.

In August 2017, Christchurch Stadium Trust released a pre-feasibility study into a new multi-purpose Christchurch Arena capable of hosting sporting events as well as exhibitions and concerts. The study identified a shortlist of options, and provided recommendations on the preferred options, amenities and precinct infrastructure necessary to deliver the stadium.

The four options include:

• 25,000 permanent seat arena (plus 5,000 temporary seats), with 75-80 per cent roof cover and a non-retractable pitch, estimated to be $368 million
• 25,000 permanent seat arena (plus 5,000 temporary seats), with a transparent enclosed roof and a non-retractable pitch, estimated to be $465 million
• 25,000 permanent seat arena (plus 5,000 temporary seats), with a solid roof and retractable pitch, estimated to be $496 million, and
• 30,000 permanent seat arena (plus 5,000 temporary seats), with a solid roof and retractable pitch, estimated to be $584 million.

The study identified option 3 as the preferred option, which is expected to record an operating surplus, based on an analysis of different revenue and expenditure scenarios. The Council will set up a project team to examine these options and develop a detailed business case.

The project will be funded through a cost-sharing agreement between the NZ Government and the Council, with possibility of private investor involvement in talks. The Council has committed up to NZ$253 million. In June 2018, Christchurch Council voted to bring forward its funding of NZ$253 million by two years from 2023 to 2021.  

The NZ Government, elected in 2017, established a capital acceleration facility for Christchurch to which the Government has committed NZ$300 million. In October 2018, the NZ Government confirmed that NZ$220 from the facility would go towards the new arena, at the request of the Council. This is on top of circa NZ$57 million that the Government has already contributed to buy land for the arena. 

The NZ Government reviewed the possibility of combining the Christchurch Multi-Use Arena with the Metro Sports Facility but decided against it.

In February 2019 the project was renamed to Canterbury multi-use Arena. In December 2019, Christchurch City Council approved the investment case for the 25,000-seat covered multi-use arena. Early construction is expected to start in 2021 and be completed in late 2023.

Advance Technical Solutions will be doing site investigations with the expectation that some of this work will take place before the end of 2019. Pending signoff, it is also possible that final demolition, land remediation and infrastructure relocation works could be undertaken from the third quarter of 2019.

The project is being jointly overseen by the Christchurch City Council and the Crown (NZ Treasury and NZ Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet).