Childers Rd Reserve ideal for a sports hub

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Sports hub plans have arisen again — it would be great to get on with it.

For 15 years I have been around tables talking sports hubs, mainly with rugby.

In that time locations mentioned have been: Waikirikiri Park, Rugby Park, Nelson Park, Childers Road Reserve, Harry Barker Reserve, Awapuni Sports Stadium, more recently the Park Golf Club, and years ago a water sports hub at the Mad Mile . . . and the talk is talk and talk and more talk.

I believe Childers Road Reserve is the best, and could be made into a multi-purpose facility for soccer, rugby, league and grass hockey, with an athletics field around its perimeter. A new stand could be added on the east side to cater for referees and each code, with rooms for academy purposes.

Then we would have a great sports complex, including the adjacent netball, tennis, squash, badminton and the fantastic YMCA facilities.

Parking could use all spare grass areas by the YMCA and what’s left on Childers Road Reserve, also using areas by the Flying Nun and creep into all wasted grass areas in the Oval.

Also, move all waka ama to Anzac Park with indoor facilities, and have rowing and kayaking there as well. It makes sense for the three sports to be centralised. The soccer ground at Anzac Park could go to Watson Park.