Courts installed, pools filled at Chch recreation and sport centre

Two major milestones have now been ticked off at Christchurch's $500 million Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre.

Crown Infrastructure Delivery project director Alistair Young said the show courts, which cover an area about the size of a supermarket, have been finished, and the competition and dive pools have been filled with water.

"This 2900-square-metre (court) space has been purpose-built to host televised games and high-performance sport, with retractable grandstands flanking the central court, ready to roll out for spectators," Young said.

"It’s also large enough to accommodate three basketball or netball courts, or up to four volleyball courts for community use."

He said the flooring was a standout feature, with about 23,500 linear metres of beech timber laid, enough to stretch from New Brighton to Hornby.

"The central court features timber chosen for its uniform colouration, reducing visual distractions for viewers watching televised games," Young said.

"Permanent line markings have been applied for basketball, netball and volleyball, while additional marked points for futsal and badminton allow temporary lines to be added as needed, without visually cluttering the court."

Young said the 50-metre competition pool and the dive well, measuring 25 by 20 metres and five metres deep, have both been filled with more than five million litres of water.

The pools meet international competition standards and will support both elite training and community use.

With the pools filled, the pumps, heating systems and filtration equipment beneath the surface have been powered up.

Meanwhile, the final lining is being laid beneath the aquatic play tower and filling of the manu and learn-to-swim pools is under way.

"These milestones reflect the extraordinary effort of everyone involved in delivering Parakiore. From the retractable grandstands to the aquatic play structure and now the Show Courts and pools, we’re seeing the vision come to life," Young said.

At 32,000m2, Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre will be the largest facility of its kind in New Zealand, featuring multi-purpose indoor courts, swimming pools, hydroslides, an aquatic sensory space, a gym, movement studios, and group fitness rooms.

The St Asaph St project was initially estimated to have cost $217m but Crown Infrastructure Delivery revealed in May it was now "expected to cost around $500 million upon completion".

It is expected to be completed in October and handed over to Christchurch City Council for fit-out before opening in late 2025.

The city council will own and operate the centre.