$17m sport facilities plan presented

Vanessa van Uden
Vanessa van Uden
Proposed sports field, court and Queenstown Event Centre developments costing $17 million were yesterday presented to the Queenstown Lakes District Council as part of Lakes Leisure's master facilities plan 2011.

The council-owned sports and leisure organisation's report was received at the full QLDC meeting, after which it would be put out for community consultation.

It included 2012-13 plans for a $1.8 million sports fields and athletics track development at the Queens- town Golf Club, a $9.8 million main stadium extension, including two additional courts, toilet and change facilities, and two new squash courts worth $500,000.

Also proposed for the same period was construction of a learners pool at the Wanaka Community Pool, at a cost of $200,000, and Queenstown Events Centre road access and car parking developments.

For 2015-16, four covered hard-surface courts next to the QEC main hall, worth $3.8 million, were proposed, with additional sports field development at Grant Rd in 2019, at a cost yet to be determined.

The plan proposed the QLDC contribute $13.8 million of the total cost.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden stressed the proposal was coming from Lakes Leisure, not the QLDC.

By receiving the report, Lakes Leisure will be able to proceed to community consultation on the plan, with Ms van Uden saying it must make sure its intentions were "spread far and wide".

A major issue outlined in the plan is the availability of sporting facilities, with "insufficient space" at the QEC for consistent access to in-demand sport and recreation activities.

It said sport growth rates suggested demand for the facilities would "continue to exceed availability", potentially limiting the growth of local sports and the emergence of new sports.

The QEC stadium was described as the only suitable venue in Queenstown for large events - such as the Trenz tourism conference earlier this year - which have seen sports users increasingly sidelined.

This winter, 41 "bump-out" days because of event use of the stadium were recorded, affecting about 3200 people, up from 24 days last winter.

The plan proposed to maintain and develop the QEC as a recreational hub, as opposed to focusing on satellite sports fields.

 

 

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