Long-awaited Rakaia Rec Centre work underway
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Construction has begun on a roughly $1.7 million, community-led recreation centre for Rakaia, which has been two decades in the making.
The old Rakaia Rugby Club's changing rooms and public toilets have been demolished and in its place will rise a new, modern fit-for-purpose community facility, project manager Mark Boag says.
The project has been led by the Rakaia Rugby Club and a community that has been raising funds for a new facility in the Rakaia Domain for a decade.
The approximate $1.7m build will be completed around June.
“It would be built by now if it wasn’t for Covid and it taking a couple of years to sell the old clubrooms,” Boag said.
Building consent was granted in December, allowing local builder Ross Moore to start the project in early January.
“Getting all the consents took a bit longer than we anticipated.
“It’s going to be a four to six-month build, so looking around June.”
There had been a fleeting thought to delay construction, to avoid impacting the busy winter months in the domain, but with rising construction costs the decision was made to “just get on with it”.
The facility will not be available for use until the end of the rugby season but the focus was on getting it built, Boag said.
It’s been two decades in the making.
The rugby club started drafting up plans for new clubrooms as far back as the early 2000s, he said.
Those plans were shelved when the Rakaia Community Strategic Plan in 2009 introduced the idea of a shared sports facility in the Rakaia Domain, and the formation of Sport Rakaia.
That led to much bigger plans and the Rakaia Stadium Trust pitching to the Ashburton District Council in 2015 to back a new sports complex at the Rakaia Domain. But as the EA Networks Centre was set to open in Ashburton, the council baulked at the $1.5m funding request towards the estimated $5m proposed facility.
The rugby club then took charge again and, after Covid delayed progress, they pitched to the council at the end of 2021 to pay for the replacement public toilets in the building.
The council is funding the $351,000 replacement public toilets, a prefabricated toilet block that will be incorporated into the end of the centre, near the car park.
It then took a bit longer than hoped to finalise designs, get consent and start building, but the result will be a facility fo
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
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Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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