Event centre ready to use

Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley (left) and Waimate District Council chief executive Bede Carran. Photo...
Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley (left) and Waimate District Council chief executive Bede Carran. Photo: Shannon Gillies

Waimate is making strong strides towards completing its multifunction event centre on time, declaring stage one of its massive infrastructure project complete on Saturday.

About 50 people showed up for a tour of the structure that will serve as a sports complex, civil defence centre and conference facility.

Construction started last year, in August. Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley was proud of the facility and congratulated council and construction staff on what they had achieved.

"It's now complete and ready to be used. There'll be a mad rush to get in here.''

The complex cost ratepayers $3.8 million and the balance of the project would be met by Gary Rooney, of Rooney Group Ltd.

Mr Rowley said the project was 14 years old, but and momentum picked up and construction started in the last 18 months.

He said the project meant a lot to Waimate and all its various community groups now had a modern facility they could access.

"It's huge. t's a fabulous facility for Waimate, particularly for projected growth for the district.

"There's a lot going on ... You need these types of facilities to attract people to the district.

"It's a community facility for people to come and enjoy.''

The centre was built on the site of the town's former sports stadium, on the corner of Paul and Wilkin Sts.

It will be open from today, but its official opening is expected to be sometime in December, once construction around the site is complete and the remains of the former sports stadium cleared.

shannon.gillies@odt.co.nz

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