Council begins talks over sale of part of QEII Park to Ministry of Education

Christchurch City Council is to begin discussions with the Ministry of Education (MoE) over relocating Avonside Girls' and Shirley Boys' High Schools to part of QEII Park, alongside the new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre.

The Council today agreed Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Chief Executive Karleen Edwards should meet with the MoE and the two schools to explore a range of options regarding the sale of part of QEII Park.

It is still to be determined where the two schools will be situated on the QEII Park site although initial investigations show the MoE will need 10 hectares of land on the eastern side. The Council is also working closely with the MoE over the exact location of the new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre on the QEII Park site, which is still to be decided.

Dr Edwards says coming to an agreement with MoE over how the two schools and the new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre will be co-located is a priority. "Residents are understandably eager to know where the schools and the recreation and sport centre could be located on the site and to see progress continuing.

"With this in mind, we'll begin discussions with the MoE next week. We will ensure that the final site agreed upon for the new recreation and sport centre means the facility is accessible to the whole community."

She says the Council is committed to continuing to work with the community over the development of the new recreation and sport centre. "It is everyone's goal to see a facility open in the area that can be enjoyed by all the community. The community has made an extremely important contribution to this project to date and we value their input," Dr Edwards says.

The MoE announced on 12 February 2015 that QEII Park is its preferred site for the relocation of Avonside Girls' and Shirley Boys' High Schools. The Council agreed to build the new Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre on the same site in September 2014.

Construction of the Eastern Recreation and Sport Centre is scheduled to begin in August 2016. It is expected the facility will open in 2018.

For more information, please visit www.ccc.govt.nz/EasternPool

ENDS

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