Concept drawing of new Christchurch multi-use stadium.
Photo: Christchurch City Council
After a four-hour meeting, Christchurch City Council voted on Thursday to reduce the number of seats in the arena from 30,000 to 25,000 in an attempt to stem an $88 million budget blowout.
It was meant to be Christchurch s last big post-earthquake project - a $473 million indoor stadium ideal to bring top tier All Black test matches back to the country s second largest city.
But the consortium behind the it broke the news earlier this week that the original design would cost a lot more than the budgeted amount.
Among the reasons for ballooning costs is the rising price of steel and shipping since the outbreak of Covid-19.