Aorangi Stadium and CBAY forge gym link

December 7, 2011

Aorangi Stadium and CBAY forge gym link

The management and operation of Timaru’s SBS Events Centre in Morgans Road as well as the Fitness Studio gymnasium business is to be transferred to the Timaru District Council from 1 February 2012.

In a deal signed today, the Fitness Studio will be integrated into the Caroline Bay Aquatic Centre gym, one of the special features of the new $23.5 million complex that is opening on 1 July next year.

The agreement concludes negotiations between the five-member Aorangi Stadium Trust, owners of the SBS Events Centre, and the Council.

The deal is structured in two parts. In a three-year contract from 1 February next year, the Trust has transferred management, but not ownership, of the stadium to the Council. This places the stadium operational role within the Council and will enable comprehensive management and marketing opportunities in conjunction with CBAY. The Council had resolved to work with an existing gym and this arrangement fulfils that aim.

The Council is to manage the stadium operation including events, sports tournaments, conferences, celebrations and special events in the main auditorium and upstairs lounge. It will also be responsible for routine maintenance and sub-tenancies, although long-term structural maintenance will remain the responsibility of the Trust. The complex is on land leased from the Council.

The Trust has also transferred the Fitness Studio business to the Council as a going concern and it will become part of the CBAY gymnasium business. There will be no general reduction in equipment in the Morgans Road premises because new gym equipment had already been ordered for the CBAY complex as part of the overall build cost.

The agreement means existing Fitness Studio hours and staffing will continue for at least 12 months and existing classes and programmes will be retained at the Fitness Studio until January 31, 2013, subject to adequate patronage.

Timaru Mayor Janie Annear said today “I am pleased that this agreement will link a fabulous stadium with an outstanding aquatic centre and offer effective combined marketing opportunities for both facilities.”

Spokesperson for the Aorangi Stadium Trust Kevin Gloag said “the Board has considered the proposal very carefully with a view to what we believed was in the best interests of our stakeholders and the community in general. The Stadium will be retained in community ownership through the Trust but all operational activities will transfer to the Council. We believe that combining the business activities of the Stadium and CBAY with a co-ordinated approach to management and marketing will be in the best interests of all parties. There are near term benefits for our current users and Fitness Studio members, including access to the CBAY Aquatic Centre gym. Access to funding and cost savings are likely to be longer term benefits.”

With CBAY construction on schedule, the cafeteria operation settled, and now the link between the Aorangi Stadium and CBAY established, the official opening of the aquatic centre on 1 July 2012 is eagerly anticipated.

ENDS

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