Development of new stadium underway

Development of Christchurch’s new stadium is underway, with households closest to the proposed Addington site receiving information last weekend.

Christchurch City Council Recreation & Sports Unit Manager John Filsell says he wants to keep the local community informed. “We don’t want anyone left out of the loop, so I’ll be going door-to-door myself this (last) weekend, dropping off relevant information and chatting with residents."

Rugby League Park has been selected as the venue for the temporary stadium, which is expected to host a range of sporting and cultural events. The park will be modified to ensure that the requirements of spectators, sports codes, event operators and broadcasters are met.

There will be significant community benefits to having the new stadium ready for the winter sporting codes, so it is proposed to ask the minister to use powers under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act to deliver the project on time.

“It’s going to be a stiff challenge, but having the stadium ready in time for the first Crusaders home game in March 2012 will be a really rewarding goal,” Mr Filsell says.

The project is a response to the closure of AMI Stadium, which was subject to severe damage during the recent earthquakes and is currently unusable.