Sport & recreation  |  4 Mar 2020

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A proposed plan to lease reserve land at Ngā Puna Wai for a new multi-court indoor sports centre is open for community feedback.

Sited in Halswell, Ngā Puna Wai is a sports hub that provides top-class facilities for athletics, tennis, hockey, rugby league. It also caters for community sport and recreation activity.

It was developed by local sports codes – in partnership with the Christchurch City Council and Sport Canterbury – following the 2010-11 earthquakes that severely damaged much of the city’s sports facilities.

It was always envisaged that other sports would, over time, become part of the sports hub and add their own facilities.

Netsal, a company jointly established by Mainland Football Federation and the Christchurch Netball Centre, wants to develop and operate a 10-court facility for community level sport at Ngā Puna Wai and is seeking a ground lease from the Council.

The Council believes Netsal’s proposed facility is in keeping with the original vision of Ngā Puna Wai as a hub for multiple sporting codes, which is why it is looking to lease it land.

The proposed site for the courts is on the south-west side of Ngā Puna Wai, on land designated for future recreational use.

Parking is proposed to be provided alongside the indoor courts.

People can have their say on the lease proposal through Have Your Say. The deadline for submissions is 6 April.

There will be a drop-in session where people can learn more about the lease proposal at Ngā Puna Wai on 17 March from 4.30pm to 6pm.

At the end of the submission period, a Hearings Panel will be convened to consider the public feedback and to make recommendations to the Council.

An artist’s impression of the new Netsal centre.