Tuesday 21 November 2017

Mayor welcomes new plan for Metro Sports Facility

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel says the Government’s announcement of a new plan for the Metro Sports Facility anchor project provides the city with a window of opportunity to re-examine its major sports facilities.

The Mayor says she supports the Government’s decision to get the project back on track.

The Mayor was responding to an announcement by the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Dr Megan Woods, that the facility would exceed its budget by $75 million if the project went ahead on the current procurement approach of a design and build contract.

The Council’s contribution to the Metro Sports Facility is capped at $147 million under the Cost Sharing Agreement.

Dr Woods has asked for two pieces of urgent work to be undertaken.

First, Ōtākaro is to complete by March next year the detailed design and tender for a build-only contract to deliver the Metro Sports Facility current plan.

Second, the Crown is to partner with the Council on an urgent review of the project options, such as whether part, or all, of the facility can be combined with the Multi Use Arena.

“The next few months required to complete the detailed design work and to get ready to go out for a new build-only contract has given the city a moment in time where everything can be examined without undue delay,” the Mayor says.

“The city can now look at what we really need and this will include getting together with the sporting codes to double check that what was driving decisions five years ago is still relevant today. What was the case then, may not be now.

“This window of opportunity will enable us to think about the different elements of the Metro Sports Facility and the Multi Use Arena, as well as some of our existing facilities.

“This is an opportunity for the next generation of young sports people to have world class facilities for training and competition and therefore I welcome having a fresh dialogue with the codes,” the Mayor says.

"We could end up accelerating work on the project and reducing overall costs, while providing the city with the sporting and events infrastructure it needs – now and for future generations."

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