Site Sought For Sports Stadium

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32232, 26 February 1970, Page 12

Site Sought For Sports Stadium

The chairman of the City 7 Council parks and recreation committee (Cr P. J. Skellerup) will lead a group of councillors on an inspection today of possible sites for a second indoor sports stadium.

Cr Skellerup said that! Cowles Stadium was built in 1961 for about SI 20,000.

He listed as possible sites, all on City Council land, as Cuthbert's Green, adjacent to Cowles Stadium, the Merry Estate (Kerrs Reach), Hoon Hay Park, English Park, Hagley Park, on the triangle of land near the Carlton Mill Bridge and the FendaltonAvonside motorway linking with Salisbury Street, Queen Elizabeth Park and McCormack's Bay. At Hastings recently, said Cr Skellerup. he had inspected an indoor sports

| stadium which formed the ground floor portion of a new 1 stand, and had found the idea most impressive. English Park? “A new grandstand is needed at English Park, and 1 the second stadium could be under it. However, it is possible that there would not be sufficient width for the building, combining stadium and stand, between the edge of the cycle track and the park boundary.” He said that it was probable that a second stadium would be built before reclamation work at McCormack's Bay was completed. Cr Skellerup said that the Hagley Park corner site, with access from Carlton Mill Bridge, would be a central one. Cowles Stadium was handier for the eastern areas of the city. Having the second stadium in a more central site, or on the other side of the city in the Halswell area, had to be balanced against building the second one near the existing stadium with the idea of having a sporting complex in the one area. The Deputy Mayor and chairman of the finance committee (Cr H. P. Smith) said at this week s meeting of the City Council that it was put- < ting the cart before the horse

in inspecting sites for a second indoor sports stadium when, as far as he knew, the reserves committee had not put the proposal to a vote in the council. “RATHER UNUSUAL” “How is the stadium going to be financed? Will it be a special levy on the rates? Personally, I am in favour of a second stadium, but selecting a site before the council has committed itself is rather unusual,” Cr Smith said. Cr L. G. Amos: Use the money saved by handing over the traffic department. Cr Smith: And use up all the savings we had told ratepayers we have made for them? I don’t think Cr Amos is serious. Cr Skellerup said that Cowles Stadium was fully booked the year round and there was a definite need for a second one. Choosing a site was a first and essential step in any planning. The director of parks and reserves (Mr H. G. Gilpin) will accompany the councillors on the inspection of sites. Sports played in Cowles Stadium include basketball, bowls, gymnastics, table tennis and badminton, and national championships in some of these sports have been held there.