Study could reignite sports hub plans in Ashburton
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A study into the districts sport facilities could renew the plans for a sports hub centred around the EA Networks Centre.
Ashburton’s Sport Canterbury regional manager, Jan Cochrane, said with the Ashburton District Council and sporting bodies looking at planning ahead, it could be time to revisit the green field development at EA Network Centre but any decisions would depend on the findings in the utilisation study.
“It’s the time for everyone to collaborate, look at what the vision is and how sports are currently situated,” Cochrane said.
Council’s community services group manager, Steve Fabish, said the utilisation study of the EA Networks Centre and district sports fields would take place later this year.
“The utilisation study is about identifying the current usage of the activities within the EA Networks Centre and, where we have issues with peak periods and times of low usage, where there are other opportunities to increase the usage,” Fabish said.
“A similar study will analyse usage of our district’s existing developed sports fields.
“All of the information will be of high value in supporting any council decisions in the upcoming 2024-34 long-term plan, with regards to any expansion or the EA Networks Centre and development of additional sports fields.”
The council owns a large tract of land, about 15 hectares, to the west of the sports centre.
Securing additional land to futureproof the stadium site by providing room for the stadium to be extended and space for a variety of outdoor sports to become part of the sports hub, was critical for the council when it signed off the project.
“When the site was chosen that EA Networks Centre is now built on, the land surrounding it was identified as a vision for it to become a sports hub in the future,” Cochrane said.
Whether that time was now would be determined by the findings of the council study, she said.
Other councils in Canterbury have established sports hubs, such as the Selwyn District’s Foster Park in Rolleston and Waimakariri setting up a sports hub in Rangiora next to Mainpower Oval.
“We have seen in other regions the positive benefits of having a sports hub in one place,” Cochrane said.
Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.
We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?
Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.
-
91.4% Yes
-
8.6% No
Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
-
72.5% We work hard, we deserve a break!
-
16.9% Hmm, maybe?
-
10.6% Yes!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
How many balls of string does it take to reach the moon?
(Peter from Carterton kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Peter!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
Loading…
