The Southbrook Community Sports Club will host a community workshop at the Southbrook Pavilion on Tuesday, February 17, from 6.30pm-8pm.
The Waimakariri District Council set aside $1.3m to replace the ageing Southbrook Pavilion in the 2024/34 Long Term Plan, with the funding to be matched by the community.
The club’s working group chair, John Stanley, said the project, known as the Southern Community Hub Project, represents an ‘‘exciting’’ investment in the park’s future.
‘‘Southbrook Park plays a huge role in our community. This is a chance to build something that not only meets today’s needs, but will serve future generations.
‘‘We want to hear from the community about what matters most to them and how they would like to be involved in this opportunity.’’
A feasibility study completed by the council in 2021 identified the need for a modern community hub with purpose-built facilities to serve the community.
It would replace the existing pavilion and changing rooms.
Waimakariri district councillor Tim Fulton, a council appointee on the working group, said the building is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced.
‘‘It means the Southbrook Park project is a blank canvas. There are no pre-conceived ideas.
‘‘It’s ultimately for the users to decide.’’
The Southbrook Community Sports Club was established in the 1940s by the local rugby and cricket clubs.
Today it is an umbrella organisation for the Saracens Rugby Football Club, Southbrook Cricket, Southbrook Touch, Southbrook Netball and North Canterbury Special Olympics, which collectively represent around 1500 members.
The existing building dates back to the 1980s, with the changing rooms on the ground floor.
In the 1990s the old Rangiora town and country club rooms were rebuilt as the Southbrook Pavilion’s top floor. The Southbrook Community Sports Club and its affiliate members have invested in the building over the years, but have found it is no longer viable.
The park is also used by dog walkers, families, commuters and recreational users, making it one of the busiest sports venues in the district.
Anyone interested in the community workshop should contact Gary McNicholl on 027 438 4279 or register at events.humanitix.com/workshop-community-hub-at-southbrook-park.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
