In a one on one interview with Chris Lynch, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has described Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium as “genuinely world class,” saying it will help attract major international events and boost the local economy.

“It’s just genuinely world class,” Luxon said.

“It’s not just the rugby that’s going to get played here, it’s actually also the events that we’re able to attract that wouldn’t come if we didn’t have a world class venue.”

Luxon said the stadium would create lasting memories for future generations.

“As a boy that grew up in Christchurch and remembers lots of good things about Lancaster Park, it’s awesome to think there’s a whole new generation of Cantabrians and Kiwis that are going to have great memories at this place.”

He said the design would create a unique atmosphere for players and fans. “It’s incredibly intimate but it’s also got a permanent roof and so it’s just incredible.”

“You’re actually going to be able to hear the calls very, very closely.” Luxon said the venue would play a key role in attracting major events, including international concerts.

“We wouldn’t have been able to get Robbie Williams here without support from the Government and having a world class venue.”

He defended the use of taxpayer funding to secure major acts, saying the economic return justified the investment. “Every time we have a live performance like Robbie Williams or anything else, that drives economic value back into the local economy.”

“We don’t lose to Australia, we don’t lose to nobody, and so we need to go out and actually stock our pipeline of events.”

Luxon rejected concerns the approach could lead to rising demands from performers. “New Zealand has been completely outplayed and outgunned in the previous few years.”

“That is why many New Zealanders have said why can’t great bands come here, why can’t great events come here, and the answer is we haven’t been competitive enough.”

He said attracting major events would support local businesses that had faced significant challenges in recent years.

“Our hospitality businesses have done it tough, they’ve gone through COVID, they’ve gone through recession, they’ve gone through inflation. It’s just right that we now have a level of competitive spending that’s comparable to what the Australian states have.”

Luxon also confirmed the Government would continue to invest in major events where there was a strong economic return.

“We’ll always have a major events fund because where there’s real economic value created for the New Zealand economy, we’re very interested in that.”

On energy policy, Luxon defended the decision to reopen oil and gas exploration, including in the Canterbury Basin.

“This has been our policy from day one. The last Government ended oil and gas exploration and as a consequence everybody left.”

He said the move was necessary to avoid future energy shortages. “When our rivers aren’t full, when the sun doesn’t shine and when the wind doesn’t blow, we had an energy crisis.”

“The problem was we had no gas to use.” Luxon said energy security was critical to economic stability.

“We are not prepared to have a place where we do not have affordable and abundant energy. We know we’re going to need some gas for the next 20 years as we make this transition to clean energy.”

He acknowledged there was no guarantee exploration would find new resources. “We’ll see where that all goes. But New Zealand’s energy security is really important because energy security is about economic security.”

Luxon also addressed concerns about the global fuel situation amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “All 195 countries and all 8 billion people are affected by the economic impacts of a military conflict in the Middle East. It’s incredibly worrying what’s happening.”

He said the Government’s priority was ensuring supply remained stable. “We have to make sure we’ve got fuel supply in this country as our first line of effort.”

“If we don’t, that really will hurt jobs and incomes.” Luxon reassured New Zealanders there was no immediate shortage of fuel.

“There’s no need to hoard fuel in New Zealand at this point in time.“We have supply coming into this country as we need it.”

He said officials were preparing for potential disruptions. “We need to be smart and responsible and start to imagine the scenarios where our fuel supply could be disrupted.”

“It’s about making sure we don’t get to a point where critical services are affected. Luxon said while the conflict was beyond New Zealand’s control, the Government was focused on managing its impact.

“I can’t control that conflict, but I have to control New Zealand’s response.”

Finally, Luxon pointed to Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region as a standout performer in the national economy.

“There is a sense of optimism in this city. You’ve got growth happening, strong leadership, and investment in infrastructure, and that’s really exciting. We want to see this happening across the whole of New Zealand.”