31 May 2018

Christchurch's new QE2 sports complex opens

From Checkpoint, 5:55 pm on 31 May 2018

Hundreds of children and 12 schools have pre-registered for swimming lessons at Christchurch's new Taiora QE2 sports centre, which opened today.

The Canterbury earthquakes damaged the complex beyond repair, and almost six years after it was demolished a new QE2 has risen from rubble - admittedly smaller and without the athletics track the old one was so well known for.

Schools in particular welcomed today's opening, after having to pay higher transport costs to get their students to pools for lessons since the quakes.

For Nova Montessori's co-principal Pauline Matsis the QE2 opening came as a huge relief.

"It makes it easier because it is closer, the facilities are amazing," she said. "The children can continue their lessons with the least interruption as possible."

Ms Matsis said her school was already booked in for a week's worth of lessons in term three and again in term four this year.

Nova Montessori had to spend between $1000 and $1200 a term since the quakes to bus their students across the city to Jellie Park, another Christchurch pool.

Ms Matsis said that cost would now sink by about two thirds.

"It was quite a surprise when we still had to maintain the standard of swimming curriculum for the children, we had to find that money from other sources," she said.

"We have been waiting for this moment for seven years and we are so excited."

Schools in particular welcomed the opening of Christchurch's new Taiora QE2 sports centre because of the ease in proximity.

Schools in particular welcomed the opening of Christchurch's new Taiora QE2 sports centre because of the ease in proximity. Photo: RNZ/Logan Church

Christchurch City Council's swim education manager Tracy Hickman said 12 schools had already enrolled for swim programmes during the school day, and about 300 children were pre-registered for classes during the evening.

"During the day our swimsafe programme is fully booked out from term three to Christmas," she said.

The area's councillor David East said the new QE2 was sending waves of excitement through the community.

He said he was worried about a lack of pools in the area and the risk that a generation of Kiwi kids would not be able to swim and stay safe in the water.

"It has been a great concern to me that we have had that generation of children that has missed out on swimming lessons, there will be a huge catch up," he said.

Mr East said this was the start of a new chapter for Christchurch's eastern suburbs.

"I think this is probably part of a turning point for the east, we've been waiting for this project for a while now and it will certainly be part of the jigsaw of reinvigorating Christchurch's eastern suburbs," Mr East said.