SkyCity to file legal proceedings over convention centre delays
SkyCity is seeking NZ$330m in damages due to construction delays at the New Zealand International Convention Centre.
New Zealand.- SkyCity Entertainment Group has announced it will initiate legal proceedings against Fletcher Building Limited and The Fletcher Construction Company Limited due to ongoing delays in the completion of the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC).
The centre will open in February 2026, seven years after its original scheduled completion date of January 2019 due to various complications, including a fire at the construction site in 2019.
The casino operator alleges that Fletcher committed breaches of contract, reflectting “gross negligence, and/or a persistent, flagrant or wilful neglect to carry out obligations under the building works contract.”
The company said: “SkyCity claims that it is entitled under the contract to liquidated damages of over NZ$330m (US$200m) from Fletchers. SkyCity has attempted to resolve these claims by agreement with Fletchers but has been unable to do so.”
Jason Walbridge, SkyCity’s chief executive officer, said: “The NZICC was originally scheduled to take approximately three years to build, and it has now taken almost ten. This is a project of key importance not only for SkyCity but also Auckland and the wider New Zealand economy.
“We remain confident in our opening date of February 2026 and expect the building to be handed over to us in the second half of this year. We are ramping up for opening with recruitment for key positions already underway and exciting plans to celebrate finally being able to open our doors and welcome visitors to enjoy the world-class experience we will have on offer.”
SkyCity has revised downwards its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) projections for the financial year 2025 by 4 per cent from its previous estimate of NZ$225-245m (US$134-146m) due to market conditions.
