Nor'West News: September 13, 2016

NOR’WEST NEWS Tuesday September 13 2016 3
News
Major sporting hub plan
• By Andrew King
THE ELMWOOD Club is
looking to undertake a major
expansion of its facilities by
building on a nearby school.
The Ministry of Education
and the club have a verbal contract
allowing the club to build
a “major sporting hub” on land
that belongs to Heaton Normal
Intermediate on Heaton St.
The club is made up of seven
different sporting clubs, including
Lincoln University Rugby
Football Club, St Nicholas
Netball Club, Elmwood Bowling
Club, Elmwood Croquet Club,
Old Boys Collegians Cricket
Club, High School Old Boys’
Burnside Hockey, High School
Old Boys’ Football Club and the
Shirley Volleyball Club.
It currently has a bowling
green, beach volleyball courts
and croquet facilities and also
backs onto Elmwood Park
which has grounds for cricket
and football.
A planner has been employed
by the club to figure out what
can be built, how much it will
cost and how they will fund it.
The idea is to include multiuse
indoor courts, clubrooms,
gym space and sports medicine
facilities.
UPGRADE: Elmwood Club sports co-ordinator Erin Hyde said a
new sports facility would allow the already popular grounds to
expand and provide a better service.
A city council independent
hearing committee has ruled
the building can go ahead
provided it does not affect surrounding
residents.
Club sports co-ordinator
Erin Hyde said it is a fantastic
opportunity to grow sports in
the area.
“We want to create a real
community vibe . . . we are in
a central part of town with a
strong community focus,” she
said.
The seven clubs have 2600
members between them, and
more than 75,000 people pass
through the doors each year, Ms
Hyde said.
Club board member Lorraine
McLeod said the key is to work
with the surrounding community
and schools to make the
best possible facility.
“Both Heaton and St Andrew’s
will have prioritised use,”
she said.
“We are now at the stage that
we need to replace our current
buildings with something modern
and usable . . . It will be the
icing on the cake for those who
use it,” she said.
Sport Canterbury chief executive
Julyan Falloon said any
collaboration between schools
and clubs was a great thing,
provided it was not doubling up
on current facilities.
“They are hard to get started,
but have huge value once up and
running,” he said.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Does
the north-west need more
sporting facilities? Share
your views with us. Email
andrew.king@starmedia.
kiwi
In Brief
HOUSE FIRE
A rubbish truck driver risked his life
on Friday at about 6.30am when he
spotted a house fire in Burnside. He
broke the windows to alert anyone
inside about the danger. Luckily noone
was home at the time. However,
a pet dog died in the blaze.
Early indications suggest the fire
started in the lounge and then
gutted the house. Fire crews from
Harewood fought the blaze for close
to an hour.
DEEPENING BORES
The city council is set to speed up
efforts to replace shallow bores,
which provide drinking water to the
north-west of Christchurch, with
ones that are deeper. It’s a recommendation
from the infrastructure,
transport and environment committee.
There are 22 bores in the
north-west catchment, supplying
about 80,000 people. The shallowest
of these is 16m. The deep bores
which provide water to other parts
of the city reach depths of about
100m. The work is due to be completed
in June 2018.
ROADING DETOURS
The intersection of Westminister
St, Roosevelt St and Courtenay St
in St Albans will be closed while
an intersection upgrade is carried
out. Motorists can use Cranford St,
Innes Rd and Rutland St to detour
around the work site.
Brian Gargiulo
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