Newly released tender documents show work on temporary measures to manage the indoor sports centre’s leaking roof is set for the coming months, while construction on a replacement is due to begin next year.
Basketball Otago general manager Jodi Brown said while the organisation was frustrated a new roof had taken years of advocacy, it looked forward to a season in the near future without rain-induced cancellations or injuries.
‘‘We are stoked that it’s getting done; we think it should have been done [earlier],’’ Ms Brown said.
Last May, councillors earmarked $15.36million for a roof replacement in the Dunedin City Council’s planned capital expenditure programme after sports groups and facility users urged action to address leaking and condensation problems.
Tender documents released this week stated planning was under way on a roof replacement programme for the former wool store building, which contains most courts, and physical work was expected to begin by mid-2027.
In the meantime, work on temporary measures to address leaks and condensation buildup is expected to start in mid-May this year and be complete by late August.
The council is also set to remediate the roof of the More FM Arena this year.
Ms Brown said the Edgar Centre was a community hub and its leaking roof risked removing sporting opportunities away from residents, particularly children.
‘‘We don’t get national tournaments here because of the uncertainty of if the roof’s going to leak and the possibility of cancelling games,’’ she said.
‘‘Our community and our players are missing out because we are continuously having to fork [out] up towards $1000 to have to go to other venues to play because we can’t have it.’’
A clear, careful plan was needed to manage the impact on court availability during roof replacement, she said.
‘‘But [we are] just genuinely stoked that it is getting under way and that we can hopefully get through a season with not having to cancel or sustain an injury or anything like that.’’
Dunedin Netball general manager Lee-Anne Anderson said the organisation was looking forward to replacement of the roof so games could continue uninterrupted.
‘‘It’s a challenging environment, so we’ll have another season of managing it this year as best we can,’’ she said.
‘‘Cancellation is the worst outcome and that’s certainly not what we want to do.
‘‘People are there to play sport. It is an indoor venue and I expect to have indoor courts that are safe to play on.’’
The tender document, which relates to this year’s work, said any supplier should minimise disruption for visitors and staff, and ensure the facility could operate safely throughout.
A separate tender would be issued for next year’s work.
The document canvassed several issues the Edgar Centre faced, including buildings shifting and sinking on the site’s reclaimed land.
The council’s nine-year plan included $360,000 in 2025-26 for detailed design of the roof, $3m for the project in 2026-27 and $12m in 2027-28.
