Ashburton Courier: September 19, 2019

Page 6, Ashburton’s The Courier, Thursday 19 September 2019
Lighting change
‘‘Infrastructure changes’’
that allowed the
installation of Christmas
decorations in East
Street, Ashburton, have
been removed by EA
Networks ‘‘due to
degradation and health
and safety concerns’’.
Areport to the
Ashburton council’s
Finance and Business
Support Committee said
that as aresult ‘‘ these
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festive decorations
(festive lighting) will not
be included in this year’s
Christmas season and
festive theming’’.
But council officershad
been working on an
alternative lightingoption
that would mean bigger
trees along East Street,
from Moore to Havelock
Street, lit up with fairy
lights throughout the
holiday season.
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05 Tin 2019 Snow
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz
Top­line sports campus
proposed for Lake Hood
A$50m sports campus is
proposed for Lake Hood,
southeast of Ashburton.
It was announced to a
business and civic audience
at Lake Hood.
The Southern Parallel
Sports Campus is proposed
by APT Sports
Academy Ltd, supported
by Aonghus NZ Ltd,
Westbury Investment
Group USA, investment
partners, the Allied
Forces Foundation, and
through alliances with
New Zealand and North
American universities.
The mission is to
‘‘change the game’’ by
offering aholistic campus
for people wishing to
develop their true potential
in sport and life,
sports resilience and
endurance training, afull
medical, mental health
and nutrition clinics and
academic programmes.
Catherine Stuart, managing
partner of Aonghus,
said Lake Hood was
the key factor in bringing
the concept to the region.
Those to benefit
include high performance
athletes, disabled athletes,
‘‘wounded warriors’’,
returned servicemen
and women, and
youth sports.
APT Sports Academy
would deliver targeted
training and education
programmes catering
specifically to their
‘‘physical, mental, selfesteem
and education
needs, and offering each
a more focused path in
life’’.
The campus would also
involve the Allied Forces
Foundation, a joint
British­American foundation
which supported
wounded soldiers and
their families in conflicts
following 9/11.
The proposed campus
would include an indoor
3G pitch ­apitch on a
firm base with long­pile
artificial grass filled with
sand and rubber crumb ­
an outdoor G3 pitch, a
running track, tennis, netball
and basketball
courts, a highperformance
gym, swim
resistance training, swim
therapy, medical and
therapy suites, anutrition
centre, offices and boat
shed.
There would also be 20
residential­style accommodation
units and a
lodge.
The lodge would be
created by lifting the roof
of the existing Lake
House (a pop­up restaurant
will be created in
the interim) and adding
wings.
When the work was
finished, the restaurant
would operate as normal.
An agreement has
been signed to buy the
extra land needed for the
complex, and New Zealand
and international
investors were sought.
It was hoped the
majority would be from
New Zealand.
The campus planned to
hold two international
meetings a year and
would seek the Invictus
Games, an international
adaptive multi­sport
event, created by Prince
Harry, Duke of Sussex, in
which wounded, injured
or sick armed services
personnel and their
Care urged in
lighting fires
Fire officials are urging
caution with too many fires
escaping.
Don Geddes, deputy
principal rural fire officer
for Mid and South Canterbury,
said firefighters had
dealt with five escaped fires
in the past week and more
care was needed.
‘‘Most if not all were
avoidable,’’ he said.
The fires posed adanger
and inconvenienced volunteer
firefighters.
Mr Geddes said it was
still open season and
people assumed it was safe
because of the time of year,
but not enough care was
being taken.
He said it was vital to
check the weather forecast ­
including the long­term forecast.
It was also important to
supervise fires, make sure
wind would not take flames
towards ahedge or trees, and
have ameans of suppression
on hand.
It was also important to
make sure fires were out.
Embers should be raked
and doused.
Embers left smouldering
could easily reignite many
days after afire if awind got
up.
Mr Geddes said people
were under­estimating the
fire risk at this time of year.
associated veterans take
part in nine sports.
There would also be
tournaments for ablebodied
athletes.
The lodge would have
20 accommodation
suites, akitchen and restaurant,
a bar lounge,
guest lounge, a soundproofed
event centre and
offices.
The sports complex
would be built on vacant
land away from the lodge.
It was hoped to finalise
investment by December
this year and complete
plans and consenting by
January 2020 and construction
to start in
March 2020.
It was proposed to
open the complex in the
first quarter of 2021.
Geraint Howells, who
has moved to Ashburton
from Leeston, said he set
up APT Sports Academy
Ltd with ex Super Rugby
player Ged Robinson,
who looked for guidance
after top rugby.
They came up with an
holistic approach to
training.
The academy would
include online tuition.
Apercentage of profits
would go to help disabled
children.
The campus will have
up to 200 attendees and
up to 70 staff.
The rowing lake would
be a key part of the
campus.
Mr Howells trained in
the UK as a landscape
architect and designer.
Catherine Stuart said
the campus was a great
opportunity for the district
and she wanted the
community to be
involved.
There were very few
campuses like the one
proposed in the world.
Promoters looked
closely at Christchurch
for the campus but
wanted a ‘‘destination’’
and Ashburton was a
great region, and Lake
Hood was the icing on the
cake.
Photos: An artist’s
impression of the
development.
Hello, from Ashburton
Ashburton, greeting from Ashburton. The business of council was put aside
for afew moments when Cr Russell Ellis introduced Charlie Dennis from
Ashburton in Devon. He is acouncillor there.
Mr Dennis said when the Ashburton council in Devon found out he was
coming to Ashburton, Canterbury to see his daughter, an au pair here, they
gave him abook and few other items to bring by way of greeting. They were
passed to mayor Donna Favel. Photo: Charlie Dennis of Ashburton, Devon
and Donna Favel of Ashburton, Canterbury.