Friday 22 October 2010
When disaster strikes, curiosity is a natural human trait.
So we’re lifting the safety cordons and inviting Southlanders to view progress at the Stadium Southland site at an Open Day next Saturday, October 30, from 12pm to 3pm.
There has been phenomenal interest since last month’s heavy snowfall crushed the stadium’s roof. The open day is very important to us from a community perspective and is another opportunity to involve the public in the overall process as we move forward.
A photo montage of the collapse and subsequent site clearance work will show visitors the sheer extent of the damage and the massive progress made over the past few weeks. Our staff members – including those in the building at the time of the incident - will be on hand to answer any questions and share their stories.
A lot of people have indicated they want to come down and take a look – and for a variety of different reasons.
One woman who enjoyed playing tennis at Stadium Southland for the past 10 years said she simply wants to say goodbye, Keiran Fahy, who was in the shower there at the time of the collapse, has his own unfinished business with the place and my kids want to go and stand on the number one court because they played there and have a lot of great memories.
It all means something different to everyone and it’s important we give the opportunity for closure to those who want it.
Our focus has now switched to Game on 2012 and rebuilding our sporting pride and joy so this is an ideal chance for people to see what remains of the original complex before any development starts.
Appointed by the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust, Denis Woods and John "Boggy" McDowell are continuing to consult with the community. Along with various individual meetings, a public meeting is planned for November to garner feedback.
We’ve already had an unprecedented response with regard to "wishlist" items and understandably it will be impossible to accommodate everyone’s needs and wants. We only have a finite budget from NZI Insurance but ultimately the community will drive its final priorities.
Building a great facility that meets the needs of our community in 2012 appears to be a common thread but we need to ensure it will do an equally great job in 2032. It’s important we future-proof this project.
Our limited court space at present has certainly been highlighted following our call for various sporting organisations to send us their requests. In fact, it appears we are triple-booked at times so that is going to take some working through logistically, although it does reflect what a valuable asset Stadium Southland is to our community.
If the hum of activity is anything to go by, the quest to transform our ILT Velodrome into a multi-purpose venue can be deemed a success.
And the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel has finally been able to confirm today they will play four ANZ Championship home games at the velodrome next season – fantastic news! After extensive investigations, it’s been ticked off as a suitable venue to host international netball games with a seating capacity of 2700.
We’ve found a solution to increasing the lux level of the lights which will not only meet the Steel’s needs in terms of live television but also benefit the likes of basketball, tennis and cycling at future events.
Our fire egress plans have been given the green light - it’s about manpower on site to ensure public safety is paramount at all times.
A lot of people have lent their expertise to making this happen and the result, which will be applauded by the public, is a credit to them all.
Enjoy the impending long weekend.
Cheers
Nigel Skelt
Stadium Southland
Game On 2012
