The Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub Stage I Project has received the most Outstanding Project Award from Recreation Aotearoa for 2019. The award recognised excellence, innovation and effectiveness in the provision of a recreation/leisure project. 

The Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub Stage I Project involved a huge amount of effort and collaboration from many different sporting and community bodies. On behalf of the players, officials and spectators, we sincerely thank you for the leadership and investment by all involved, to achieve what we have together over the past eight years.

We are already seeing the benefit Ngā Puna Wai is providing for sporting and recreation communities both regionally and nationally. To date, Ngā Puna Wai has successfully hosted sporting seasons and national events for each of the four founding sporting bodies: Canterbury Athletics, Canterbury Hockey, Tennis Canterbury and Canterbury Rugby League (Sports Partners), which have involved tens of thousands of participants. Our feedback from spectators and players alike is that they are thrilled with the quality of the facilities provided and have had a great user experience with Ngā Puna Wai.

Status of the Development

The Masterplan for the Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub estimated the total costs to be $106 million and the agreed design priorities for Ngā Puna Wai Stage I were to deliver the following outcomes in sequential order of priority: (1) Playing Surfaces, (2) Player Facilities, (3) Spectator Facilities, and (4) Social Facilities.

The Ngā Puna Wai Stage I Capital Project has achieved 75% of the Masterplan outcomes and design priorities for an investment of $54.7 million. This achievement is a credit to all involved and an outstanding result for the sports partners and the sporting communities within Ōtautahi and Aotearoa.

David Bailey,

CCC Recreation & Sport Services Manager