Press Release – Friday 27 July 2012

Save Hagley Park And Canty Cricket

Save Hagley Park appreciated the opportunity offered by the Christchurch City Council to meet with Canterbury Cricket and John Filsell (CCC Recreation & Sport Manager) on Monday 23 July 2012. The meeting was to consider Canterbury Cricket’s proposal for Hagley Oval, in light of the recent Council decision to vote against it.

We fully agree that Canterbury Cricket needs a stadium for all forms of the game. This stadium will need permanent infrastructure and be compliant with current ICC regulations along with the ability to meet any future requirements imposed by ICC.

The history and special status of Hagley Park and the constraints governing any development on it, mean that Hagley Oval is not and never was a suitable venue for a cricket stadium. However, we are sensitive to the situation Canterbury Cricket find themselves in. We have no objection to Canterbury Cricket using Hagley Oval for a limited number of “one off” festival games, while they sort out a new home for Cricket.

We are very shocked and surprised to learn since the meeting that John Filsell has confirmed that the work will start on upgrading the wicket to international standards within the next few days. There was no mention of this at the meeting and Save Hagley Park would not have agreed to this.

It is pointless and wasteful to spend this $1.5m, as without the full ICC infrastructure, i.e. lights, grandstands etc, the wicket can’t be used for international games. As the Council have voted 12 to 1 against the project already, it is seems as if one side of the Council is not communicating with the other. If the proposed development does not go ahead, more money would then have to be spent to reinstate the original 4 wickets.

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