Investment In New Indoor Courts To Boost Community Sport And Wellbeing

Indoor sport and recreation opportunities are set to expand following approval of a new four-court facility at the Queenstown Events Centre (QEC).

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) confirmed the project at its meeting on Thursday 12 November, approving both the proposed four-court option alongside an expanded health and wellness space. The investment responds to growing pressure on existing facilities, where demand from more than 294 user groups regularly exceeds available capacity.

The new facility has a capital budget of $46 million, funded through Council’s 2024-2034 Long Term Plan. The budget will deliver a single-storey building of four indoor courts, expanded health and wellness facilities, multifunction and support spaces, and around 160 new car parks.

The decision to expand is a big step forward in meeting community demand said Kenneth Bailey, general manager community services. Expanding to six indoor courts at QEC means we will have more space to accommodate sport and recreation activities for our community.

“This is a big moment for the district as we look to grow our capacity in the sport and recreation space by 2030. Demand has well and truly outgrown what the current facility can offer and we’ve responded to clear calls from the community about the need for more space,” he said.

“With the decision confirmed, our focus now moves to detailed design and procurement for construction,” said Simon Battrick, strategic project manager community services.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

“We know how much this matters to clubs and user groups, so we’ll keep them and the wider community informed every step of the way as the project progresses,” he said.

The project team will now progress to the detailed design stage of the project to help inform the procurement approach. The expanded facility is expected to be completed in the second half of 2029.

The best place to stay informed is on the QLDC website project page - search: ‘QEC Indoor Court Expansion Project’.

Notes:

• Project webpage: https://www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council/council-projects/qec-indoor-court-expansion
• Capital cost: $46 million (excluding GST), funded through Council’s 2024–2034 Long Term Plan.

• Scope: A single-storey facility of about 6,085m² on the Field 4 site (adjacent to hockey turf), with four regionally compliant courts, health and wellness facilities, multifunction and support spaces, and around 160 new car parks. (Furniture, fittings, equipment and show-court seating sit outside the $46 million baseline.)

  • A regionally compliant indoor court is a sports facility built to strict size, ceiling height, and safety standards required to host official regional, national, and premier senior competitions
• Operating costs: Once open, the facility is estimated to add around $1.8 million a year in operating costs in its first year — roughly $0.7 million in additional staffing and about $1.1 million for utilities, energy, cleaning and day-to-day running. That’s expected to be partly offset by around $1.0 million a year in additional revenue (memberships, admissions, venue hire, concessions and other charges), leaving a net additional operating cost of roughly $0.8 million in year one. Over the first 30 years of operation, total operating costs are estimated at about $84.5 million, plus around $11.9 million in asset renewals (undiscounted). (Source: QEC Indoor Courts Detailed Business Case; figures exclude GST.)
• Indicative timeline: Detailed Procurement Plan to Council — December 2026; construction contract award — targeted July 2027; practical completion — targeted for the second half of 2029 (around a two-year build).

• Over the past decade, health and wellness use at the QEC has grown from 220,000 to 300,000 visits a year.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading