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Waitaki Event Centre

Project typeRecreation project

Sports and Events Centre concept drawing interior

Waitaki District Council (WDC) has previously worked with Sports Otago over several years to identify the need and support for a new indoor recreation centre to support primarily netball, basketball, futsal, and other sporting codes.

A comprehensive needs assessment and feasibility study was completed in 2016 and further reports have been completed since this initial feasibility study. These studies concluded that there was a lack of regulation indoor courts to support netball and basketball and lack of indoor facilities to attract regional competitions and events.

In 2021 the Long Term Plan (LTP) process included the construction of a new indoor recreation centre. In the past strong support has been received for a new facility but the barrier has been securing adequate funding.

The objectives are:

To sustain and grow participation in core and potential sporting codes.
To enhance health, wellbeing and resilience for all members of the Waitaki community.
To leverage sport and recreation to boost economic growth and development within the Waitaki district.

While the final design & plan is yet to be confirmed the following features are seen to be key for the new facility are:

A combination of sprung timber courts and synthetic courts
Adequate heating and ventilation for the different spaces, i.e. ventilation for courts, HVAC for offices and smaller rooms
Office, reception, foyer flexible design to support leasing and sports hub
Tournament control room including first aid
Changing facilities, lockable and sized to support indoor facility needs
Public and staff amenities
Movable spectator seating up to 500
Multi-purpose rooms that can be used to support different programmes and events to generate revenue (i.e. not just fitness centre)
Kitchen to support large functions/events.

The estimated construction cost (including an allowance for design and consenting) for the building is $31 million (2021 dollars) excluding GST, or $32 million inflated to the anticipated construction time of 2023 to 2025. This construction cost estimate is very dependent on the features included within the facility and quality of construction. An advisory group and sub-working groups have been established with key stakeholders.

Event centre location: Centennial park, Oamaru

Centennial Park location