APRA AMCOS Aotearoa are lending a voice to help protect Auckland’s biggest music venue. You can make your voice heard as well by making a submission by Sunday 15 June below:
Submission on behalf of APRA AMCOS NZ
APRA AMCOS represents over 115,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers across Australasia.
We advocate for the rights of music creators and ensure they are compensated when their music is performed or broadcast in public. As an organisation we are deeply invested in the cultural and economic vitality of New Zealand's music industry, particularly in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It is our largest market, where we are based, and as a result we have a strong interest in the future of the Western Springs Bowl.
Our strong preference is for Option 2 - Western Springs Bowl
Western Springs is a unique asset for any major city — a large-capacity, centrally located, easily accessible natural amphitheatre. The Outer Fields of Western Springs offer something just as valuable — a spacious, flat, multipurpose green space in the heart of Auckland.
Together, these sites form an extraordinary urban asset. Few cities in the world are fortunate enough to have a natural amphitheatre of this scale and character. Those that do — like Los Angeles with the Hollywood Bowl, or Denver with Red Rocks — protect and celebrate them as cultural landmarks, weaving them into the fabric of the city’s identity.
Auckland is a UNESCO City of Music, part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, which promotes cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic driver of sustainable urban development. The Auckland Bowl can be a physical embodiment of that commitment — a world-class venue that amplifies our city’s musical and cultural identity.
In our view Option 2 is a thoughtful, low-impact development that respects both current and future uses. It has the potential to become a defining feature of the city — a place that sets Auckland apart from every other city in the South Pacific.
This is a rare and powerful opportunity. Auckland has something truly special. Now is the time to protect it, elevate it, and make it a proud symbol of our creative future. That is why we support Option 2 for Auckland and music loving Aucklanders.
To use this public taonga for a further football stadium, where Auckland has an excess of underutilised stadia already, is ill advised. Even as home for Auckland FC it is obvious that the current plan is not large enough to suit the current demand.
We urge Auckland Council to not make further poor decisions around stadium that take community assets out of the hands of Aucklanders for the next 100 years.
Anthony Healey - Head of Operations, APRA AMCOS NZ
Here’s what others are saying:
"My first concert was at Western Springs in 1971. Elton John on his first tour. I was so thrilled to play there in ‘92 with REM. I think it’s by far the best outdoor venue in Auckland … I am completely behind the proposal to preserve and further develop this as a concert venue. A major city like Auckland should have a beautiful, dedicated space in the city that’s easy to get to where the very best of NZ and the world's entertainers can play. It’s an essential part of what makes a city hum, bringing people together to be uplifted by music."
- Neil Finn
For more information, see Auckland Council's Consultation Document HERE.