Hagley Oval Cricket ground redevelopment
Tuesday 4 December 2012
Council releases memorandum
on proposed Hagley Oval Cricket ground
redevelopment
Christchurch City Council has released a
memorandum clarifying the impact of the Christchurch Central
Recovery Plan on the proposed redevelopment of the cricket
ground at the Hagley Oval.
The Canterbury Earthquake
Recovery Authority (CERA) has clarified that the enhancement
of Hagley Oval was included in the Recovery Plan so that,
should the Council decide to redevelop the Oval to allow it
to bid for 2015 Cricket World Cup games and be successful in
that bid, it would be easier to work through the legal
requirement to make this happen.
In order for the
proposed redevelopment to proceed, Canterbury Cricket has to
obtain resource consent for the pavilion, light towers and
the embankment. The Council has to decide whether or not to
approve the proposed scope of work for the embankment and
the grant of a ground lease to Canterbury Cricket for the
pavilion and light towers.
The Christchurch
Central Recovery Plan includes the redevelopment of Hagley
Oval as a cricket ground capable of hosting domestic cricket
matches and international tests as an Anchor
Project.
The Council is responsible for the
administration of Hagley Park. The governing document for
the Council’s administration of Hagley Park is the Hagley
Park Management Plan 2007. It provides the policies for
managing the park, including the regular sporting activities
that take place there.
Under section 23 of the
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011 the Hagley Park
Management Plan cannot be inconsistent with the Christchurch
Central Recovery Plan. This means the proposed redevelopment
of the Hagley Oval cricket ground is now included in the
Hagley Park Management Plan.
The memorandum has been
prepared in conjunction with the Canterbury Earthquake
Recovery Authority’s (CERA) Legal Team in response to the
Council’s Community, Recreation and Culture Committee
(CRAC) resolution seeking clarification from CERA on the
impact of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan on the
Hagley Park Management Plan, and the intentions of CERA in
including an international cricket ground in the Plan.
General Manager Community Services Michael Aitken
says the memorandum has provided clarification.
“The
inclusion of the redevelopment of Hagley Oval as an Anchor
Project in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan has meant
that the Hagley Park Management Plan now effectively
includes the redevelopment of Hagley Oval as a venue for
domestic and international cricket.”
Community,
Recreation and Culture Committee Chair Yani Johanson says it
is vital that everyone has the opportunity to the see the
memorandum, “Given the significant public interest in this
proposed redevelopment on Hagley Oval it is important that
this information is released clarifying the legal position
between CERA and the Council.”
-ends-