Jonah Lomu’s public farewell at Eden Park cost taxpayers more than $180,000, though most of the seats in the stands were empty.
The great All Black winger collapsed and died at his Auckland home on November 18, 2015, following a long battle with a rare kidney disease.
A public memorial service was hosted at Eden Park on November 30 to farewell the rugby legend.
Figures obtained under the Official Information Act show the Government spent $181,207 on the event.
There was no specific budget set for the event but when Prime Minister John Key announced the memorial service he said he did not expect it to cost more than $300,000.
STANDS HALF-EMPTY
The biggest cost was the venue hire at $64,035.
While thousands of dollars were shelled out for the 50,000 capacity stadium, the majority of the seats were empty, with about 15,000 people attending.
Green Party MP and Internal Affairs spokeswoman Denise Roche said the Government would have received better value for money if the event had been held somewhere else.
Roche, who attended the memorial, said the largest cost was the venue hire but holding the event on a Monday meant a lot of New Zealanders weren’t able to make it.
“Jonah was a loved Kiwi icon, really.
“I can really understand the desire for a public memorial; however it’s a lot of money.”
The Government didn’t get the best value for money, she said.
A spokesman for the prime minister said Lomu was a sporting icon who touched lives in New Zealand and around the world.
“His contribution to the game and his community were immense and there was significant public interest in a memorial to recognise that, therefore the Government felt it was appropriate to contribute to his public service.
“The event was held at Eden Park due to its capacity and association with Jonah’s outstanding career.”