Facilities, Libraries, Sport & recreation  |  5h ago

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Following the 15th anniversary of the 22 February earthquake, we’re looking at different Council aspects of the rebuild, and how far we’ve come. Next up, suburban community facilities.

Several hundred community facilities have been rebuilt and reopened across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula since the 2011 earthquakes, including pools, playgrounds, libraries, rec and sport centres and sports parks.

One of the first community facilities to be completed post-quake was Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre, serving the ever-growing population in Christchurch’s southwest in 2015.

The centre is fit with a library, customer service desk, several large meeting rooms and incorporated the existing Halswell Aquatic Centre - marking the first time the Council combined so many facilities for local residents under one roof.

More recently, the 4000m2 Matatiki Hornby Centre in Kyle Park opened its doors in 2024, attracting nearly half a million people in its first year.

The complex includes an indoor aquatic centre with a lane pool, learn-to-swim pool, family spa pool and toddlers’ wet play area, customer services hub, café, a modern library with 12 public computers and a creative space with resources like a laser cutter, 3D printer, and audio/visual recording equipment – to name a few.

Further north, Bishopdale Library started a new chapter with the opening of Ōrauwhata: Bishopdale Library and Community Centre in 2017. The 800m2 building was constructed on the former Bishopdale Creche in Bishopdale Mall, right next door to the old library site, and includes a combined library and community hall.

The 800m2 Ōrauwhata: Bishopdale Library and Community Centre opened in 2017

Matuku Takotako: Sumner Centre opened the same year – replacing facilities lost in the quakes and becoming home to Sumner’s library, community centre and museum. The Council put $10 million into the construction of the new centre while the Sumner Redcliffs Historical Society committed $50,000 towards the cost of the space for the museum. The seaside town also had a revamp to its Scarborough Park playground.

Over east, the $38.6 million Taiora: QEII Recreation and Sport Centre opened under budget and ahead of schedule in 2018, replacing the Queen Elizabeth II Park facility, which was demolished in 2012. Taiora QEII had a whopping 800,000 visitors in its first year.

The multi-million-dollar Te Pou Toetoe: Linwood Pool also opened ahead of schedule (and within budget) in late 2021. The pool and multi-use court facility gained national recognition shortly after opening at the Commercial Project Awards and the Recreation Awards, which acknowledged its innovative design and community-led approach.

What was once 32ha of grassy reserve land nearby the Canterbury Agricultural Park was transformed into a $53.65 million multi-sports facility, with its official opening of Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub in 2019.

Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub officially opened in 2019

The development replaced the damaged athletics track at QEII, rugby fields at Lancaster Park and hockey pitches at Porritt Park, and is now home to Athletics Canterbury, Canterbury Hockey, Canterbury Rugby League and Tennis Canterbury.  

One of Christchurch’s major attractions, the iconic New Brighton Pier, suffered damage during the earthquakes and underwent repairs in 2017. And while not technically a rebuild, He Puna Taimoana: New Brighton hot pools was a much-welcomed addition as part of the regeneration of New Brighton. The seaside pools opened in 2020, following the $19m New Brighton Beachside Playground which was complete three years earlier.

The seaside He Puna Taimoana: New Brighton hot pools opened in 2020

With hundreds of suburban facilities repaired and rebuilt across the city, there’s still more to come.

Redevelopment of Lancaster Park has been ongoing since 2021, with the heritage gates restored and rededicated, new sports grounds and recreational spaces complete, and over 11,000 native trees and shrubs put in the ground. At the time the stadium was demolished, it was believed to be the biggest demolition project in the country.

Progress is a step closer to completion following the opening of a new community centre and changing rooms in late 2025. Additional planting is planned and the plans for the playground will progress later in the year.

Construction is underway on the new Ōmōkihi South Library and Customer Service Hub, with concrete poured and the framing and structural steel taking shape. The building design is based on the same floor area as the previous facility, and provides the same services – library, customer services, learning centre, café, governance spaces and meeting rooms.