Council agrees to Netsal lease at Ngā Puna Wai

Christchurch City Council has agreed to lease reserve land at Ngā Puna Wai to Netsal for the new multi-court indoor sports centre that it is planning.

Netsal is a company that was jointly established by Mainland Football Federation and the Christchurch Netball Centre to develop and operate a 10-court indoor facility for community sport.

Earlier this year Netsal applied to the Council for a lease on reserve land at the south-west of the Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub so it could build its indoor courts there.

Of the 92 public submissions received by the Council on the Netsal centre proposal, 76 per cent were in favour, and 24 per cent were opposed to granting the lease.

Today, on the recommendation of the Hearings Panel that considered the submissions, the Council agreed to give Netsal a 33-year lease on the land.

Conditions have been attached to the lease to address concerns raised by some local organisations and residents during the consultation process about access, traffic management and parking.

Cr Tim Scandrett, who chaired the Hearings Panel, says that an indoor court centre will be an excellent addition to the sporting facilities that have already been developed at the Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub for hockey, tennis, athletics and rugby league.

“Christchurch has some great sporting facilities but one thing we’ve been lacking is a high-quality multi-court indoor facility. Ngā Puna Wai is the logical place for such a facility,’’ Cr Scandrett says.

“It will be a great home for netball and futsal in Christchurch and will help those two sporting codes to grow and develop. The centre is also going to be available for other sporting organisations and community groups to use so it will be a fantastic asset for our city.’’