The vision for the future of Ashburton’s mega sports hub is being described as “what dreams are made of”.
The Ashburton District Council adopted the 30-Year Masterplan for EA Networks Centre & Surrounding Land on Wednesday.
Sport Mid Canterbury community advisor Alice Breading said the master plan is an amazing thing for the community.
“It’s offering more spaces and places for active recreation and sport.
“The whole plan, for me in my line of work, is what dreams are made of.”
Council’s 30-year plan will ensure an organised development of EA Networks into a sports hub, she said.
“They have thought about the bigger picture of what the community will need in the future.
“We often hear that youth and young families in our community need more affordable activities and things to do.
“The proposed development of the sports hub bridges the gap to meet that need.”
The disc golf, soon-to-be-built mini golf, proposed half courts and a sand court will help residents to be more physically active, she said.
The EA Networks Centre cost $35 million, including $5m fundraised by the Ashburton Stadium Complex Trust, and opened in May 2015.
It has four indoor pools, four indoor courts, two outdoor courts, and a fitness centre. There is also a disc golf course based around the stadium.
The council owns a large tract of land, around 15 hectares, to the west of the sports centre, which aimed to future-proof the site by providing room for the stadium to be extended and space for a variety of outdoor sports.
The master plan presents the blueprint for that future development over the next 30 years.
It includes projects budgeted in the long-term plan such as the vehicle entrance widening, solar investigations for a 1-hectare solar farm, a sand court, a mini golf course, and the three-court stadium extension.
Proposed developments in the master plan include an additional vehicle entrance, additional car parks, multi-use sports fields and turfs, walkways, playground equipment, and additional aquatic area space – including the outdoor pool option.
Which projects proceed and when will be determined through the council’s annual and long-term planning processes.
In supporting adopting the plan, Mayor Neil Brown said over time some of the project will be picked up and delivered.
“It’s a living document and can change as time goes on.”
Mid Canterbury Netball centre manager Erin Tasker said she was happy more courts are coming, although she would have loved to see it happening earlier.
“We are currently at capacity and for our sport to grow we need the stadium to grow.
“It’s not just about us, it’s about all of the sports that are lucky to call the EANC stadium home.
“Our district is growing, and we need to make sure we have the capacity in our stadium so that if newcomers to town want to play netball, basketball, volleyball, badminton, or another new sport and want to set up a club – we can say yes.”
Consultation on the draft plan occurred in March-April and received 67 submissions.
Following the hearings and deliberations on June 6, no major changes were indicated.
Signing off the plan was delayed as the council waited for Mid Canterbury Rugby’s decisions around remaining at the A&P Showgrounds.
MCRU chief executive Tanya Dearns said rugby will remain where they are for now.
“At the moment, our future is at the showgrounds.”
Dearns had told councillors in June that developing the green field space was critically urgent and pushed for it to coincide with the stadium extension.
The greenfield developments were not budgeted for in the next 10 years but as they are in the 30-year masterplan, “subsequent councils may change their mind”.
Naming rights
Some of the naming rights sponsorship at EA Networks Centre are up for renegotiation next year.
Council people and facilities group manager Sarah Mosley said they are having initial sponsorship conversations with key partners over 10-year deals.
“It is likely that changes will only occur in the 11th year as it is more cost-effective to align the changeover with a full stadium floor sand.”
EA Networks naming rights are for a 15-year term, so it is not part of our current project, she said.
By Jonathan Leask
