Proposed Auckland Arena at Western Springs: A Game Changer for Basketball in Auckland

Consultation Period: 19 May – 15 June 2025
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Auckland Basketball Services (ABS) is excited to support a transformative proposal for Auckland’s sporting and events infrastructure — the Auckland Arena at Western Springs Stadium.

Led by a prominent group of New Zealanders, including Anna Mowbray, Ali Williams, Bill Foley, and NBA star Steven Adams, the proposal includes the development of a multi-use indoor arena featuring eight basketball courts. This would be a landmark development for Auckland — and for the thousands of young athletes, families, clubs, and schools who are affected daily by the city's indoor court shortage.

Why This Matters for Basketball

Basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Aotearoa, and Auckland is at the heart of that growth. However, the region has long struggled with a critical lack of accessible indoor courts, limiting opportunities for community participation, school competitions, and high-performance pathways.

Auckland Arena is designed with our sport in mind. If successful, this proposal would significantly increase court availability and help meet urgent community demand. It would also provide a central, fit-for-purpose space to host regional tournaments and grow basketball’s presence in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Basketball Auckland’s Position

Basketball Auckland strongly supports infrastructure projects that deliver long-term solutions to Auckland’s facility challenges. We have met with the Auckland Arena group and are encouraged by their commitment to working with the basketball community should the proposal move forward.

We will be making a formal submission to Auckland Council in support of the Auckland Arena proposal — and we encourage our wider basketball whānau to do the same.

Have Your Say

This is your opportunity to help shape the future of basketball in Auckland.

👉 Public consultation is now open through Auckland Council until 15 June 2025. 
You can view the full consultation document and provide your feedback here:

📄 Consultation Document (PDF)
📝 Submit Your Feedback Online

Let’s make sure basketball has a strong and visible voice in this process.

Article added: Thursday 05 June 2025