The Board of The Trusts Arena – Announcement

The appointment of a new Chair

The board of Waitakere City Stadium Trust wish to welcome the appointment of Setareh Stienstra as the new Chairperson of the Waitakere City Stadium Trust (Trust). Setareh is a long-standing trustee, who joined the board in 2014 and has been acting Chair on occasions.

The board wish to thank the outgoing Chairperson Tim Livingstone. Tim has been on the Trust Board since 2004 and was Chairman from 2015 to August 2022. Tim Livingstone was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for his services to the community and business, serving the West Auckland community.

About Setareh Stienstra – 

Setareh is an accomplished governance leader and lawyer. Setareh is an experienced legal professional in property, planning and health and safety law. She has been a senior practitioner for over 22 years. Setareh’s involvement with and knowledge of The Arena goes back to its establishment where she was a key member of the team who assisted in the creation of The Trusts Arena in her capacity as a lawyer. Setareh is on specialist committees of the Auckland District Law Society Inc and the Property Law Section of the NZ Law Society.

Setareh values community contribution. She is involved in a number of community organisations, including girls surfing, mountain biking and trail running. Her involvement is focused on pursuits that support girls in sports.

Over the past seven years, Setareh’s contribution to The Trusts Arena has included being part of the roof replacement project team. The project was valued at $4million and was completed on time and on budget in 2021, despite Covid. Setareh has also been involved in working closely with the team on health and safety projects, funding sources, along with working with The Arena team in a variety of ways during the Covid-afflicted lockdowns.

Passionate about community access to public places; Setareh is very keen to promote girls in sport and to ensure structures are in place for the success of women in sport. Outside of work and voluntary commitments, Setareh is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys getting outdoors mountain biking, trail running and tramping with her family and friends.

About Tim Livingstone – 

Tim has been central to the success of The Trusts Arena. As one of the founding trustees Tim has been involved in the expansion of The Arena to the Grandstand and the re-roofing project of the main Arena building. In the 2016 New Years’ Honours, Tim Livingstone was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community. Tim has been a Partner at UHY Haines Norton for over 30 years, including 10 years as Managing Partner of the practice.

Tim has been the President of the West Auckland Business Club, an initiative he was instrumental in developing more than 20 years ago. He is a member and Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (now Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand), having served as Councillor and as Chair of the National Public Practice Committee. He is on various commercial boards and community trusts and chairs the Audit and Risk and Remuneration Committees for some of those entities.

Tim has been a Trustee of The Trusts Arena since 2004 and was Deputy Chair of Sport Waitakere among many other entities. He is passionate about supporting the culture and heritage of West Auckland, with active involvement in projects such as the Portage Ceramics Trust and the Lopdell House Development Trust.

Tim enjoys his contribution to the sporting, community and business world as they align with his values of giving back. Two projects stand out for Tim for which the community has benefited significantly. One is The Trusts Arena. The estimated cost to build the stadium was $28m build in the early 2000’s with another $10m for the Grandstand. It was completed on time and debt free, opening its doors in 2004. Another standout is the Lopdell House Re-development. It was roughly a $20m build to refurbish the old Lopdell House and build the new Te Uru Gallery. That project too was constructed on budget. Both of these projects have had a high calibre of dedicated Trustees who Tim considers have been incredible to work with.

Tim successfully led The Arena through one of the most difficult patches in recent times. The start of the Covid restrictions in March 2020 until the removal of protection framework in early October 2022 meant that at times The Arena had no ability to host community, sporting or commercial events. Tim worked closely with the management team to navigate this uncertain 2.5 years without loss of staff. His knowledge and understanding of financial prudence has meant The Arena could be fully operational as and when Covid measured permitted. As Tim steps down from the role of Chairperson, The Arena is back to being a thriving local hub for the community and is hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup which showcases the best The Arena has to offer.

The Trusts Arena, Lopdell House, the Portage Ceramic Trust, and Sport Waitakere are legacy projects. Tim’s contribution has been instrumental in the success of these projects and organisations. These projects have cemented the value that Tim has created for Aucklanders, particularly those in the West. The Board thanks Tim for his valuable contribution and is pleased that Tim will continue on as a Trustee on the Board for the time being.