A Queenstown Lakes District Council spokesperson said the existing synthetic flooring was being replaced with a wooden sprung floor.
‘‘It will provide greater shock absorption during play, reducing stress on the body,’’ the spokesperson said.
‘‘The replacement has been driven from the feedback of our regular sports groups.’’
The wooden floor would replace courts 1 and 2 in the Wānaka Recreation Centre.
The project has been funded through the council’s longterm plan.
Installation of the new flooring system for the Sir Tim Wallis Dr facility is set to take place during the New Year holiday period in December 2026 and January 2027.
‘‘December-January has been chosen specifically due to the lower user numbers and being the offseason for our winter codes,’’ the spokesperson said.
The installation of the new wooden flooring system will replace the current Rebound Ace synthetic surface with a wooden floor.
‘‘The new flooring meets recognised standards for indoor sport, providing improved player safety, better performance and greater longterm durability.’’
The Wānaka Recreation Centre will reach 10 years of operation in July 2026 and will hold a community event to celebrate this milestone in January 2027, following the wooden floor installation.
From July 2024 to June 2025 the Wa ¯naka Recreation Centre recorded more than 82,000 participants using the courts.
