Light at the end of the tunnel as sports centre takes shape

After more than four years of pushing their vision, a group behind a sports and recreation centre in Christchurch can finally see an end in sight for the multi-million dollar project.

Committee members of the Pukeko Centre said funding restraints loosening up and internal planning has allowed the project to tick along into its second stage of development.

The centre, based in Parklands, was the love child of the Parklands Bowling and Rugby Club joining forces after the earthquakes left them without facilities.

After some consultation, the clubs realised there was a wider community need for a sports and recreation hub and the Pukeko Centre vision was born.

Pukeko Centre committee member, Andrew Weastell, who works on the funding of the project, said the delays were due to a number of factors, with funding, consent forms and Covid playing a role.

“It’s taken a long time to raise the funding that we have raised and that’s nobody’s fault it’s just a fact of timing with Covid,” Weastell said.

Stage one of the $3.5 million project saw two old Freeville School buildings set for demolition gifted to the project by the Ministry of Education.

Weastell said getting those buildings was a great success for the Pukeko Centre, but as these could only fit 250-300 people, a multi-use sports hall was needed, hence where stage two of the project commenced.

The second stage has been broken up into five sub stages, with sub stage one and two set to be completed in a couple of weeks.

“Once we started we wanted to finish but unfortunately that hasn’t panned out. Cutting it into sub stages has been the way to keep things moving,” Weastell said.

Sub stage three focuses on the superstructure and skeleton build of the planned hall, coming at a cost of $800,000.

So far $125,000 has been raised.

“This is really the key one,” Weastell said.

“If we can get this over the line I think we’ll get there.”

Christchurch City Council Coastal Ward councillor Celeste Donovan said the project is a great initiative for the community and is working to get more city council funding to support the centre.

“Communities need shared spaces, places to connect and grow together and the Pukeko Centre will be a big part of that for Parklands and the broader community,” she said.

Donovan said the committee and community have done an “incredible” job pushing forward the project in spite of funding restraints.

“We recognise that it’s a challenging environment with the escalation in costs and tight funding environment. So, I am committed to doing whatever I can to help,” she said.

Weastell said the centre has already received inquiries from dance and martial arts clubs, post-natal depression groups and even Parafed wanting to utilise the centre once it’s finished.

As well as being wheelchair-friendly, Weastell said the centre is aimed at being something that everyone can access.

“Our mission is to keep it as cost-effective as possible, we’re not there to make a profit,” he said.

“It’s just a place for people in the community to connect really.”

•To donate to the project, email andrewweastell@hotmail.com.