Queenstown Gymnastics Club president Mark Kunath says Christmas has come early as the local sports club won’t be given the boot from its current training site at Wakatipu High.
The school is moving to new Frankton digs next year when the existing site, including the gym, will be decommissioned.
Queenstown Lakes District Council went in to bat for the club, engaging with the Ministry of Education, which administers the Crown-owned land, to see if they could have a stay of execution. That’s now been agreed.
Mr Kunath was delighted.
"We are very happy to hear that QLDC and the ministry have agreed for the council to take on the old high school gym block for the foreseeable future. It feels like Christmas has come early for the club and we’re very grateful for all the work put in by everyone involved in reaching this arrangement.
"If we hadn’t found a new home by the start of term one we would have had to stop classes and go into recess."
The club, which has used the school gym for about 20 years, had been looking for a new home for about three years, but had not found anything suitable, or affordable, to date.Mayor Jim Boult said the agreement made sense.
He said council was also assisting with the school’s decommissioned pool — facilitating swimming at Alpine Aqualand, Frankton.
As reported in yesterday’s Otago Daily Times Queenstown Primary School pupils might have to go to Frankton for swimming lessons.
Queenstown Primary School teacher of 38 years and concerned community member Mark Douglas was not happy about the news.
But the ministry, which administers the Crown-owned land, said it was "unlikely to be available for ongoing use" by the primary school.
