New hall on sturdy ground

The new Pines and Kairaki Beaches community hall is under construction, more than six years since the old one was damaged by the September 2010 earthquake.

Clearance for pile driving and construction began on September 1, with a potential completion time for the hall in mid-February next year.

Pines and Kairaki Beaches Association committee member Tim Stephenson said the old hall was an important part of community life for a long time.

‘‘It was used for a variety of community type events, dinners and dances, meetings of the association and various sports clubs. It used to be used for indoor bowls, playgroup and a number of things really.’’

The community had been able to use the old hall for small meetings since the earthquake, but could not hold any larger gatherings, such as concerts or market days, on the site.

Stephenson is the Pines Beach ‘‘stayer’’ who developed the design of the new hall, which will feature meeting rooms, an area to run markets and a commercial kitchen and stage which can be opened to the outside.

The design incorporates deeply driven piles, which Stephenson used in his 2009-built house, which was undamaged by the earthquake.

He said the planning and approval process for the hall had taken four years, but there had been some ‘‘big waits’’ in that time.

‘‘The resource consent was probably the biggest thing and it’s just taken time getting other stuff done really.’’

About half of the funding came from the insurance of the old hall, with the Waimakariri Council, Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Trust and Rata Foundation being ‘‘major’’ funding partners.

Other companies such as Precut Construction, Skyhigh Scaffolding and Redpaths had given the Pines Beach and Kairaki communities a ‘‘good deal’’ on materials for the build Stephenson said.

He said people were happy with the design of the hall and would benefit after such a long time without a ‘‘focus’’ for the community.

‘‘It’s been a hard six years since the earthquake with big areas being red-zoned, so it’ll be a good focus, it’ll mean we’ll be able to run more events and bigger ones.’’