“Late last year the government launched an investigation into whether outdated planning rules were unnecessarily limiting Eden Park’s ability to host major events and deliver jobs and economic growth for Auckland and the rest of the country,” said New Zealand’s minister for reform of the Resource Management Act, Chris Bishop.
“That investigation, which included public consultation in November, found the rules were overly restrictive, out of step with modern stadium use and were directly constraining economic activity.
“We have now accepted all of the recommendations in full, with some technical amendments to reflect feedback from Auckland Council.
“The changes will allow Eden Park, New Zealand’s largest stadium with a capacity of around 50,000, to host more major events that bring significant benefits to the local and national economy.
“Under the new settings, Eden Park will be able to host up to 12 large concerts and 20 medium-sized concerts per year as permitted activities, without needing resource consent. That’s up from its current limit of 12 concerts, which were not permitted to be from more than six different artists or acts.
“The changes also enable a wider range of events, including exhibitions, displays, markets, fairs, trade fairs and cultural and community events,” said Bishop.
The rule changes are expected to come into effect in April this year.
The move in Auckland follows similar moves in Sydney, which saw the state government lift a cap on concerts at Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium from four per year to 20 in early 2024.
