Akaroa sports complex plans prepared

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 9

Akaroa sports complex plans prepared

Akaroa residents are being urged to support plans for a county community sports complex. Concept plans have been designed by the Christchurch architects, Skew, Hey and Archer, and the final plans will be discussed at a public meeting at Queen’s Birthday weekend.

The concept plans include a 33m heated pool and a community hall on reclaimed land in Rue Jolie, on the Akaroa recreation grounds. The hall will have facilities for indoor bowls, basketball, badminton and volleyball. Squash courts are also planned. A lounge area and other rooms would also be in the community hall, said the

chairman of the feasibility committee investigating the proposal, Mr Peter Johnston, last evening. The grandstand overlooking the rugby and cricket grounds will be replaced with a similar sized stand, and those sports grounds will be made bigger. The croquet ground will be resited.

Other plans for the reclaimed land include picnic areas, a B.M.X. track and a new boat ramp as well as car and boat parking areas.

Mr Johnston said the sports complex would also be suitable for conferences. Existing conference facilities in Akaroa could not cater for any more than 50 people, he said. He hoped that building

could begin in a year. Construction would take at least three or five years and would depend on finances. The final cost would not be known until the final plans were completed, in the week before the public meeting.

The decision to proceed with the project would depend on the response at that meeting.

“It's a big project. If we cannot get public approval then I can’t see the point of going ahead with it.” Clubs and building contractors in the county had already been canvassed and a circular would be delivered to residents the week before the meeting to encourage public support, Mr Johnston said.