June 2019
Minister of Sport Grant Robertson, Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel turned the sod today on the construction of a new indoor 50-metre competition pool and dive well for Christchurch.
The pool will be part of the new Metro Sports Facility which is now formally under construction.
“Canterbury’s swimmers have waited a long time for access to an indoor 50-metre competition pool and all of Christchurch has been looking forward to this wonderful new facility.
“The five-metre-deep dive well and competition pool tanks are stainless steel and will come from a specialist supplier in Italy. These tanks have been selected as they will be more resilient than traditional pools in the event of any further earthquakes.
“An active community is a healthy and happy community and with everything from five hydroslides to throwing cages for our high-performance athletes, the Metro Sports Facility will offer something to people of all ages and stages,” says Grant Robertson.
Megan Woods says getting construction started on the facility is a major milestone for the city.
“The Metro Sports Facility will bring thousands of people into the central city each week, it’ll provide world class recreational facilities for our people, and it’ll boost our local sporting codes.
“Working together, Council, the Government and the local sporting codes have got this project back on track after it was stalled and over budget. Today we see the results of that hard work.
“This will be a fantastic facility for Christchurch and seeing construction begin today is just another marker of the renewed progress we are delivering for Canterbury.
“Progress on the MSF sits alongside the $300 million dollar capital acceleration fund, funding for the city’s new stadium, mental health workers in schools, and progress resolving thousands of EQC and insurance claims as part of this Government’s efforts to speed up the Canterbury recovery,” says Megan Woods.
March Menard JV has now finished installing 7256 inground stone columns at the site.
Laid end to end, these one metre in diameter columns would reach from Hornby to Ashburton. The 85,000 tonnes of stone used has increased the density of the ground, reducing the risk of liquefaction at the Metro Sports Facility.
Sod turning photo credit - Christchurch City Council Newsline