A fourth-generation Speedway family says Auckland Council’s decision to create a Western Springs 'bowl' is not just about losing a venue, but about being shut out of the process.
By Taelegalolo'u Mary Afemata, Local Democracy Reporter
For Susanne “Susie” Davis, the vote to shift the stadium toward a concert-focused future has hit close to home.
“[I'm] from a fourth-generation Speedway family,” she said.
Three generations of her family were at the governing body meeting when councillors backed the “Western Springs Bowl” concept.
“It’s huge. It’s devastating,” she said.
Davis said the decision raises questions about whether community voices are being heard.
“We tell them what we want, and they just do what they want to do anyway,” she said.
Auckland Council’s governing body voted to progress a new vision for Western Springs, centred on concerts and major events, alongside continued use by Ponsonby Rugby.
The “Western Springs Bowl” concept includes a semi-permanent stage and aims to attract crowds between 10,000 and 30,000.
Auckland Council says the proposal will make better use of the venue and improve its ability to host events.
Mayor Wayne Brown described the plan as a “practical and affordable way” to support more events.
Max Hardy, Director Group Strategy and Chief Executive’s Office at Auckland Council, told councillors the decision “reflects an assessment of the public input and the other range of factors".
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said it was “a practical step forward” to get more value out of the venue.
Concert promoter Brent Eccles said the venue could attract international acts too large for indoor arenas but not viable at Eden Park.
“There’s a whole market there. Those acts could not play Eden Park. It’s not viable. They would lose money,” he said.
Ponsonby Rugby backed the proposal, saying it would support the club’s long-term future and expand community use.
Long-time representative Peter Thorpe said the model relies on removing Speedway.
“The objectives which I’ve set out of this joint club-promoter concept simply cannot be achieved with Speedway to return to the stadium,” he said.
The motion passed 15–6, with councillors Christine Fletcher, John Gillon, Mike Lee, Greg Sayers, Ken Turner, and John Watson voting against it.
Speedway supporters say the issue is not just the outcome, but how the decision was made.
Jason Jones, spokesperson for the Western Springs Speedway Association, said the group felt excluded.
“We’ve been completely blocked out of the process and had no input into the future,” he said.
“There was a motion put forth to follow a good process and to revisit it, essentially, and obviously, that’s been declined, it’s been outvoted.”
“A bigger issue than this is how council is following their decision-making process, if you call it that,” he said.
The group plan to continue legal action through an ongoing judicial review.
Davis said Western Springs has long been a place where families gather, with traditions passed down across generations.
“We’d go down at 10 o’clock in the morning, put our seats down and then leave at sort of midnight when things are all over with. It’s a huge part of our lives, and our children have been brought up exactly the same as we were,” she said.
Even now, her family still visits the site.
“We go down to the Speedway and sit there in silence and just appreciate the environment. We still go down there because we’ve got such a huge connection,” she said.
“There’s nothing quite like it. We’ve seen heaps of tracks around the world, and there’s nothing like Western Springs.”
The future of Western Springs is not fully settled.
The judicial review could challenge the process behind the decision, while any physical changes may face further scrutiny.
Council will move ahead with planning for the concert-led model, while Speedway activity continues elsewhere.
But Davis and other supporters say the fight is not over.
“Speedway stays. We’re not giving up. It’s not over yet.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
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