Cost likely to be about $900,000

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32708, 10 September 1971, Page 1

Cost likely to be about $900,000

The Games organising committee, in a report supplied to the Gty Council this week (dated Sunday, September 5) said that it strongly preferred the concept of a permanent stadium at the Merry Estate as the athletics venue for the 1974 Commonwealth Games “if a satisfactory basis can be established for sharing the cost. '

“If an agreement cannot be reached for the Merry Estate it is unlikely one can be negotiated for Queen Elizabeth II Park. “In that case the organising committee would then return to its original plan of temporarily converting Lancaster Park.” The report was given to

reporters by the chairman of the Games Organising Committee (Mr R. S. Scott) after the conclusion of the special meeting of the City Council last evening which resolved that the Merry Estate be the venue for the main stadium for the Games. The special meeting of the council did not refer to the contents of the report A meeting of the City Council ,finance committee, which . lasted an hour and 50 minutes and was held before the special council meeting, had die report

The report states that the Games Organising Committee could commit itself to contributing $664,500 and had made provision for that in its budget

The Canterbury athletics centre and the Canterbury Hockey Association might raise the total towards $700,000. It is believed that the City Council has

budgeted for spending about $200,000 on the Merry Estate. That would make a total of $900,000. "It would be unwise to nominate a figure for a stadium development until comprehensive and detailed

plans have been prepared. However, figures on hand indicate that $900,000 would account for a substantial proportion of the likely total,” the report says.

It lists estimates prepared by the City Council as: levelling and sowing oval, building embankment, $56,300; drainage and sewers, $27,100: conI crete works, kerbs, $5000; track substrata and sealed areas, $30,500; 3250 permanent open seats on sealed base, $39,000; sundries, fences $34,500. Total $192,400. I Estimates obtained by the

'| organising committee are: allI weather track, $205,000; covjered stand section (5000 seats offices under, professional fees) $350,000; electronic scoreboard, $68,000. Temporary factors—stands $25,000 seats, scaffolding frame and timber planking), $41,600. Total, $664,500. Total estimate of some known costs: $856,900.