Despite construction being slated to begin five years from now, "there’s a lot of work that has to be done" before then for Oamaru’s proposed $14 million sports centre, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said. After a feasibility study last year put the cost for a stadium at up to $24.6 million, the council’s 2018-28 long-term plan included a compromised vision for a new facility to be included in year 5 of the plan.
But before a preliminary budget is created as a next step in the process, trips north and south in the next few weeks would include stops at relatively recently-built sports centres over a range of budgets.
"With these things, to get the price right sometimes you make compromises and sometimes you regret that in the future," Mr Kircher said.
"Are we being realistic with what we might get for $14 million? Could we do it for less? Should we be aiming for more?"
Balclutha’s Cross Recreation Centre, built for $5 million in 2011, would be one stop for the councillors, council staff and potential users’ representatives who made the trips.
"They did that very cheaply — it’s quite impressive how much they got for that," Mr Kircher said.
"But on the other hand they did sacrifice, there’s little or no insulation, or sound absorption."
Once a preliminary budget was established, the council would look at where it would secure funding from, he said.
He said he was confident the present financial model — a 50/50 split between ratepayers and external funders — could be improved upon.
