Visitor says park has a future

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 1

Visitor says park has a future

Mr Denis Howell, the former Minister of Sport in the British Government, believes that, with sound planning. Queen Elizabeth II Park could become a focal point for recreational as well as competitive pursuits.

Mr Howell was the first man to hold the sport portfolio in Britain, and he has been credited with the introduction of sports centres throughout the country; there are now between 30 and 40 in the United Kingdom.

The park’s sports complex, the venue for the track and field and the swimming events at the Commonwealth Games, was warmly praised by Mr Howell. But he said it needed to be supplemented to attract people and make it pay. “Squash and indoor bowls are two good sports to cultivate to make a complex of this nature pay,” he said. “But I think you need an additional building to cater for community pursuits.” Mr Howell felt that some additional features should be added to the swimming area to make it more attractive to the casual bather. “My observations have led me to believe that people stand up in the pool much more than they swim. Therefore, the provision of rest bays would be a good idea.” The Games were a great success, but some sports administrators in Christchurch are concerned about the future of the park. Some think that, with the provision of hostel-type accommodation, the complex could become a mecca for representative swimming, and track and field squads, in particular —and from Australia as well as New Zealand. Others feel that a big effort should be made to attract all sections of the community to make regular j use of the facilities.

Cardiff* precedent

Mr Wyndham Jones, assis- ( tant manager of the Welsh, Games team, pointed to the: success of the Sophia Gar-j dens sports centre in Cardiff.! The facilities, which include a swimming pool and courts for badminton and netball,' were in use from 9 a.m. to I 10 p.m. each day of the week, he said. “The centre is very popular; (with housewives’ groups and* (school parties, and I hope the same pattern can be established here,” he said. “The! ibig thing is that Queen Eliza-[ beth Park must be used. It will cost your ratepayers} something, but the benefit to' your youth cannot be evalu-| ated in dollars and cents.”: The swimming area at the park was hailed by Dr Har-( old Henning, the president of! the world swimming body.: F.1.N.A., as the finest he had seen, and he said it would make a highly desirable venue for the 1978 world: championships. “I think that if New Zea-i land is interested in playing host to the world champion-, (ships in Christchurch, it: ! would have a very fine oppor- ( tunity of being awarded the' 'meeting,” said Dr Henning,! (who comes from Chicago.! |“My advice to Christchurch;

is to start preparing now to get the championships.” The manager of the complex (Mr F. B Jenkings) has several ideas about the park’s future use. He wants it to become “a place where it all happens.” He has in mind such additional attractions as a marineland, a 10-pin bowling alley, an ice-skating rink, a golf driving range and artificial ski slopes. He would also like to see the stadium used for open-air gatherings and concerts.

i Picnic grounds, barbecue areas and children’s adventure playgrounds are some of the other developments Mr Jenkings is keen to see estab* lished. And he also subscribes i to the idea of building an indoor sports hall. An international hockey tournament and greyhound racing are already in pros* pect; a soccer club is inter* ested in making the park its "home”; and there is a proposal that the world's 12 best decathlon experts should be brought to the stadium for a special two-day contest, j But all these plans will count tor nought unless a (concerted move is made to (convince all sections of the [community that the park is 'there to be used.