Geotechnical testing underway for new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre

31 October 2014

Geotechnical testing underway for new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre

Christchurch City Council has this week been carrying out geotechnical testing on the QEII Park site that will help it to determine whether the land is suitable for a new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre to be built there.

The Council last month agreed that the new recreation and sport centre should be built on QEII Park subject to a feasibility study on the suitability of the site, including geotechnical investigations. It was agreed that staff would report back on the results of the feasibility study and, if appropriate, the costs and timelines for the project by April 2015.

The geotechnical drilling is expected to be complete by the end of this week and the results will then be analysed alongside other geotechnical information already available for the site. It is expected a geotechnical report will be complete at the end of January next year. A feasibility study will then be carried out, which will include the development of draft concept designs for a proposed new facility.

Once the feasibility study is complete, a recommendation regarding the site will be presented to the Burwood/Pegasus Community Board and the Council for consideration.

Burwood/Pegasus Community Board Chair Andrea Cummings says the beginning of geotechnical testing on the preferred site at QEII is another exciting step forward for east Christchurch.

"This project is still in its early stages and more investigations still need to be carried out before we can determine if building on the QEII site is economically viable. But the community has told us that they want to see a new recreation and sport centre on the QEII site and we're continuing to work towards realising that vision."

A budget of $30.5 million was allocated to the Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre in the 2012/13 Annual Plan and subsequently brought into the Christchurch City Three Year Plan (TYP). The Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust has also given $6.5 million for water attractions at the facility.

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