Design begins on new QEII complex

Now that the metro facility is going to the central city, we are getting a community facility instead.

Work on designing a $39 million pool facility in Christchurch’s east will go ahead after months of delay.

The Christchurch City Council yesterday approved a design consultation plan that it said would ensure the Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre met the needs of the wider community.

The Community Advisory Group has labelled the consultation plan as ‘‘adversarial, authoritarian and patronising’’.

Group spokesman Robert Jugovac told the council the consultation model proposed would divide the community from the council, rather than bring them together. ‘‘It assumes all knowledge and wisdom resides with the council and the community does not know what it needs and can not be trusted with the information needed to make hard choices and contribute to the result.’’

The council plans to build the Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre at the former Queen Elizabeth II Park site but progress stalled in March, when the advisory group said it was not happy with the scope of the project. This has prevented the appointment of design consultants.

The council has already agreed to build a 10-lane, 25m pool with hydroslides, along with a leisure area, toddlers’ pool, learn-to-swim pool, spa steam room and sauna, changing rooms, fitness centre, cafe, meeting rooms and parking for 200 cars.

The group was concerned there was not enough pool space to cater for the community and the two secondary schools (Avonside Girls’ and Shirley Boys’ high schools), that would be located on the same site.

Jugovac said the group was not pushing for a 50-metre pool. That suggestion was a ‘‘red herring’’, he said. ‘‘We know we have a limited budget but we need to get it right. The community is clear this is not a Christmas wish list with an unlimited cheque book.’’

The council agreed to have the Burwood Pegasus Community Board sign off on each component of the facility concept design, but the advisory group preferred another option that saw it being involved until the facility was completed.

Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it was disappointing that members of the advisory group felt disenfranchised, but that seemed to relate to budget limitations.

‘‘The truth is that we had a metro facility in the Burwood Pegasus Ward when we had QEII, but now that the metro facility is going to the central city, we are getting a community facility instead.’’