Christchurch City Council Planning Committee recommends New Brighton waterpark study

Christchurch City Council's Planning Committee has this week agreed to recommend a study into the economic feasibility of a waterpark in the beachside suburb of New Brighton and to evaluate its potential to revitalise the suburb's commercial centre.

The feasibility study will evaluate several options for the size and range of activities that might be provided at the waterpark and will acknowledge other possible configurations, including the relationship to the proposed Council-owned Eastern Recreation & Sports (ER&S) Facility.

While the Council has previously decided that it will construct an ER&S Facility, to date there has been no decision on its location.

The options to be evaluated include, but are not limited to:

A waterpark in New Brighton that incorporates an ER&S Facility. The ER&S Facility would include other non-aquatic facilities such as fitness centres and/or basketball courts.

A waterpark in New Brighton, additional to an ER&S Facility located elsewhere in the east of the city.

An ER&S Facility only, located either in New Brighton or elsewhere in the east of the city (this option does not include a waterpark).

A mixed range of locations, services and scale of facilities. For example, a boutique salt water pool in New Brighton to complement a ER&S Facility located elsewhere in the city; or all aquatic-related entertainment such as slides, wave pools and lazy rivers to be located in New Brighton, with a reduced scale ER&S Facility located elsewhere.

The results of the feasibility study will be reported to the Committee and the Council at its September 2013 meeting. If an aquatic facility in New Brighton is agreed in principle at that meeting, the location will be subject to a further detailed site evaluation, to be undertaken by way of a Council-led 'Inquiry By Design' process to engage with key stakeholders.

Planning Committee Chairperson Sue Wells explains "these recommendations mean that the Council will make a call in September on whether the Waterpark is a go. That decision will feed into the New Brighton Centre Master Plan, which the incoming Council will finalise."

At this stage the Council has made no commitment to fund the waterpark concept although its 2012 Annual Plan had allocated $30.5 million for the ER&S Facility, with an additional $6.5 million of funding for water attractions from the Earthquake Appeal Trust.

Consultation on the Draft New Brighton Centre Master Plan took place from December to February, attracting 317 submissions. A large number of submissions focused on support for the waterpark concept, with strong support also for the concept of an 'entertainment hub'.

However, the majority of respondents preferred the proposal for an aquatic facility as part of the solution for New Brighton Centre's revitalisation.

Revealed at the end of last year, plans for a large spa centre, swimming pool and waterpark on the New Brighton seafront were welcomed as a "stunning idea" by Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker.

Aiming to revive New Brighton, one of Christchurch's most deprived suburbs, from decline the plan included an aquatic centre/waterpark with hot spas, a wave pool, aquatic play area, waterslides and a 25 metre lap pool.

To be built on the site of a former supermarket, the plan was proposed by the The Burwood-Pegasus Community Board, with Board Member David East saying the scheme would integrate with the Council masterplan for New Brighton, which proposes the building of an 'entertainment hub'.

At the end of last year East explained "the masterplan has some good points, but we think it lacks the wow factor.

"There is nothing in the masterplan that would warrant investors spending some money in New Brighton. The area needs a point of difference for people to want to go there."

29th December 2011 - LEISURE FACILITIES REOPEN AFTER CHRISTCHURCH’S ‘EVE OF EVE’ EARTHQUAKE