Western News: February 14, 2017

8
Tuesday February 14 2017
Your Local Views
WESTERN NEWS
Readers respond to
last week’s article on the
Hornby mega facility’s
location
Martin Jones – As a member
of the Canterbury Track Cycling
Club, I am writing to show my
support to keep the Denton
Oval facility. This may be an old
and, some would say, out-dated
track but it is the only velodrome
in the city and has, over the
years, produced many world
class and Olympic cyclists and
continues to do so. Each year
our development programme
grows in numbers as more and
more people discover the joy of
cycling in a traffic free environment,
not only from the younger
generation but also masters.
Canterbury continues to punch
above its weight when it comes
to national championships and,
if we lose this track, all the hard
work that the riders, coaches and
army of volunteers will be for
nothing. We need this track or a
replacement to continue our rise
to be the strongest province in
New Zealand. We should have
a centre of excellence combined
with rowing in the city.
Ruth Kellow – It would be a
tragedy to get rid of Denton Park
to build yet another swimming
pool. There are already countless
pools available to the Christchurch
community. However, there
is only one track cycling facility
in the city. Track cycling has a
huge bearing on not only the
cycling community, but on the
local community also. Denton
Park development track cycling
is one of the best development
programmes in the country, and
without this facility, we would
lose our ability to produce some
of the top riders in the country
and indeed the world. What will
happen to all the assets and time
and effort that has been put into
the club? Our two daughters this
year tried track cycling and gave
the development programme a
go. They have fallen in love with
the sport through the dedication
of the officials and coaches at
the club and the family feel to
the club. Everyone is made to
feel welcome and feel part of a
real community. If there is no
velodrome, then track cycling
will have no place to go and
there will be no Canterbury representatives.
This will leave just
two velodromes in the country
of note, one being Cambridge
and the other, Invercargill. In my
opinion, we should be investing
in track cycling, not another
swimming pool. This would be
such a huge mistake from the
city council’s perspective if it was
to go ahead with this plan. I can’t
put into words how much this
proposal saddens me and I genuinely
can’t understand how this
has become a site that has been
shortlisted for such a scheme.
Steven Fish – Development
of Denton Park must not result
in the loss of the velodrome. The
velodrome is frequently used by
all grades of cyclists. It has been
the nurturing ground for many
high performance cyclists since
the 1970s. The city council need
to realise that there is no other
facility in the city for the specific
discipline of track cycle racing,
but there are several libraries
and pools. Please ensure that a
velodrome is preserved in the
planning of any new facility.
Hamish Ferguson – I first
rode the track at Denton Park
in 1984 and, apart from a short
break, I have raced, coached and
officiated there ever since. Cycling
is my life and track cycling
is one of my great passions, as I
get to witness everything. What
I have witnessed has been thousands
and thousands of people
come and give the sport a try.
Some find it is not for them,
but many stay and become life
long fans. Now, as my tenure at
Denton Park stretches 30 years,
I am seeing generations of track
cyclists competing. I have seen
young kids who have become
Olympians and world champions
and people like two-time world
champion and Olympic silver
medallist, Eddie Dawkins, go
out of his way to come here and
race. Track cycling is a huge part
of the Canterbury cycling community.
We welcome everyone
and do our best to provide good
competition for all. Our track
cycling junior development programme
has been the starting
place for four world champions
and, most recently, teenage
Olympian Olivia Podmore.
Liam Taylor – Denton Park
should not be chosen as the site
for the proposed facility, due to
the fact that it would seriously
impact the usage of the sports
facilities, particularly the Denton
Park velodrome. Situating the
facility at Denton Park, even
if it did not involve using the
velodrome land, would result in
the loss of several sports fields,
which are ideal for year round
use. This scenario would also involve
a great increase in traffic to
already crowded car-parking areas
around The Hub Hornby and
the velodrome. Demolishing the
velodrome to make space would
be a terrible action, as it has huge
value to the cycling community.
Denton Park currently has the
only fully banked velodrome
north of Mosgiel in the South
Island, and holds regular racing
throughout the late spring and
summer. It is also a vital training
venue for the competitive track
cyclists of the region. Placing the
facility at Denton Park would
be a huge blow to the local cycling
community, as well as the
Hornby Rugby Football Club.
With the suggested alternatives
Warren and Kyle parks not
causing such damage to sporting
communities, I would suggest
that either of these or further
options be explored.
Annie Maillard – The Denton
Park velodrome is the only
track cycling facility in the city,
and only one of two in the South
Island. It is a fantastic facility,
not flash or showy. And it is a
community facility, down to
earth, practical, well-used and
a facility which has produced
worldwide renowned cyclists.
Why deprive the future cycling
heroes and heroines for yet
another swimming pool? Track
cycling is a strength in New
Zealand in spite of the current
disappointing lack of coverage
or interest shown by the city
council. Please can the cycling
future of New Zealand be given
a chance and the lifeline that
Denton Park be protected. If
anything, the city council should
be looking at how it can invest
and improve this amazing place,
enhance it not destroy it.
Peter Rickard-Green –
Here’s a story for you about a little
girl called Lucy. During 2016,
watching the Rio Olympics,
Lucy, 10, saw track cycling for
the first time. She had never seen
a sport like this before that was
clearly non-gender-biased, and
watched in awe as Great Britain
won multiple medals and New
Zealand, once again, punched
above its weight. She watched
as Cantabrian Olivia Podmore
raced around the track, and
dreamed of one day riding for
the New Zealand team. When
she learned that there was a track
in Christchurch, she immediately
insisted on going to see it.
Well before she had ever been on
a track bike, and just before the
season started, she volunteered
to help sweep off the leaves.
When the time came to have a
go herself, the Canterbury Track
Cycling Cub welcomed her with
open arms. Offering her clothing,
bike shoes, a helmet and
a bike for the season to get her
started in the sport. Being the
youngest rider there, Lucy was
often the last over the line, but
undeterred, even by a big crash,
she prevailed and is now improving
every week, with her eyes on
future gold medals who knows
where she will end up. All of this
was made possible by the humble
old track in Denton Park. Nothing
fancy, nothing flash, but
such an important place to breed
future champions, born out of
true grit and determination to
make the best of what we have.
That’s the spirit of the Denton
Park velodrome right there.
The city council’s head
of recreation and sport
John Filsell responded to
readers concerns about
the loss of the Denton Park
velodrome
The velodrome will not be lost
to make way for the new facility.
We have run modelling on a variety
of possible scenarios. They
all consider the velodrome to
be a permanent fixture. Higher
level modelling has identified
that Denton Park, Kyle Park
and Warren Park are capable
of accommodating sufficient
parking. Any site chosen by the
city council for the new facility/
facilities will impact on those
who already use it. If the chosen
site is Denton Park, this will
include users of the velodrome.
One of the many tasks of the
project team will be to work with
all the existing users of whatever
site is chosen to minimise any
potentially negative effects and
focus on how all stakeholders
can work together to bring a
fantastic community facility to
Hornby.
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