Rock The Vote NZ Endorses Option 3B for Western Springs

A Path to Revival Without Selling Out

Auckland, New Zealand — 15 June 2025 — Rock The Vote NZ today announced its full support for Option 3B, a proposal that preserves Western Springs in public hands while inviting limited-scope expressions of interest—most notably, the return of speedway.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) has noted that Option 3B “allows other proposals to be explored, including the return of speedway.” Independent assessments confirm that Option 3B can be implemented within the current $31.1 million long-term maintenance budget. In stark contrast, Option 2 could expose ratepayers to up to $107 million in future costs, while Option 1 risks relinquishing public control via a 50+25+25-year lease to a private entity.

Why We Support Option 3B

Speedway is more than a sport—it’s a legacy. For 95 years, speedway thrived at Western Springs, drawing over 100,000 fans across 12 meets at its peak, according to data from the Western Springs Speedway Association (WSSA). By comparison, Auckland Council’s figures—presented by Mayor Wayne Brown—show total attendance in the 2023–24 season at just 12,800.

This drop doesn’t signify a lack of interest. It’s a by product of under-investment and an anaemic event calendar. The current status quo, which reportedly costs the city around $1 million annually, is unsustainable. Every public facility must work toward at least breaking even.

Option 3B gives Auckland Council a path forward to test new revenue strategies—particularly a speedway revival—without surrendering ownership. Eight shows a year drawing 20,000 attendees at $45 per ticket could generate $7 million annually in ticket sales alone. With prudent financial management, Western Springs could once again become profitable while remaining publicly owned.

More information: Speedcafe coverage

Concerns With Other Options

Option 1 presents a $300 million private investment—but comes tethered to a long-term ground lease of up to 100 years. This raises alarm bells. We firmly advocate for Council-controlled assets and minimal ratepayer dependency. To us, Option 1 looks like a thinly veiled privatisation deal. If pursued, we urge the utmost scrutiny of contractual fine print to prevent community interests from being steamrolled.

Option 2 is marginally better, but still problematic. It proposes a new concert venue Auckland doesn’t need, duplicates existing infrastructure, and shifts public wealth into private pockets—all while eliminating speedway permanently. It’s expensive, unnecessary, and culturally tone-deaf.

Option 3A, while maintaining public ownership, risks confusion. It's essentially a continuation of the recent status quo, which has already proven financially unsustainable.

In contrast, Option 3B invites innovation while keeping the venue in public hands.

We believe it is the only path forward that honours both Auckland’s past and its future potential.