The Government has increased its funding of Christchurch's new central city sports centre, but it will not say by how much.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said Cabinet had agreed to "new funding parameters" to ensure that the Metro Sports Facility meets the need of Canterbury's sports sector.
He said the Government would not be revealing the agreed financial cap at this stage, but said it was greater than the $70.3 million laid out in the cost-sharing agreement, signed between the Crown and the city council.
Mr Brownlee said the increased funding would see High Performance Sport's training base for elite athletes move into the new sports hub from its temporary facility.
"[We] are confident of delivering an outstanding aquatic and indoor sports facility, and officials can now begin the process of tendering for design and construction," he said.
The city council had earmarked almost $147 million to the facility, which would include a 10-lane competition pool, outdoor hot pools and two hyrdoslides, nine indoor sport courts, a cafe and a childcare centre.
Mr Brownlee said he hoped part of the Metro Sports Facility would be open in 2019, with the full opening happening in 2020.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said residents said they wanted a centrally located sports and recreational centre through the Share An Idea campaign, conducted after the earthquakes.
"That's what the Metro Sports Facility will become, as well as a centre of high performance for aspiring athletes in the region," she said.
