Gymnasts find it difficult to vault ahead
A WANAKA gymnastics club says it has ‘‘fingers crossed’’ it will be given the opportunity to move into a future facility at the Wanaka Recreation Centre.
Consultancy group Boffa Miskell is drafting a master plan for the Queenstown Events Centre and Wanaka Recreation Centre and considering the development of all current and possible sites over the next 20 years.
This could include the development of another multipurpose indoor sports facility at the Wanaka Recreation Centre site, which would become the new home for several local sports clubs.
Aspiring Gymsports founder and coach Rae Paterson said the council’s sports department had been in touch and she hoped the club would be chosen to occupy a new facility, if it were to be built.
The club currently uses a small 210sq m former office space in a commercial building in Reece Cr and has struggled with growth, finances and room in recent times.
Since the move to Reece Cr in 2015, membership has jumped from 90 members to 220, and the club pays $42,000 annual rent, set to increase to $52,000 in October.
Ms Paterson said there were several issues concerning the facility, such as a lack of heating and cooling, a lowhanging roof, and not enough space for a vault runup even half the size of that seen in competitions.
‘‘It’s hard to move forward when you’re stuck for space.
‘‘We can only do certain things at the same time.’’
Wanaka Recreation Centre manager Jason Lawless could not confirm any further development at this stage, but said the draft master plan would be presented to the community before June and he would continue to update and engage with the town’s sporting groups throughout the process.
The centre has a 5.2ha site, which already holds two indoor basketball courts, the Wanaka
❛ It’s hard to move forward when you’re stuck for space. We can only do certain things at
the same time
Pool, two football fields and an artificial turf for hockey and netball.
Mr Lawless said some further land on the site had already been ‘‘futureproofed’’, but further space would need to be identified in the Upper Clutha to match the needs of the growing population.
Aspiring Gymsports has also received the backing on the draft Queenstown Lakes Central Otago regional sport and recreation facility strategy, which the council approved on Thursday to go out for public consultation.
One of the strategy’s key recommendations is for the council to develop a dedicated facility for gymsports as part of a hub in Wanaka to meet the community’s needs.
Gymnastics New Zealand has also recommended the development of a subregional hub in the QueenstownLakes district soon, as participation numbers were expected to increase by 53% soon.
‘‘It’s good to hear they’ve both identified the need for a hub,’’ Ms Paterson said.
She said the minimum size the club would need to operate in would be the same as a basketball court, about 350sq m, which she hoped would be part of a larger facility that could be split and used by several sports clubs.