The Millers
Flat Recreation Reserve is to be redeveloped through a community-led
initiative.
At the
meeting on Thursday (20 March 2025), the Teviot Valley Community Board had a
thorough discussion about a proposal put forward by the Millers Flat Recreation
Reserve Steering Group.
The reserve
at Millers Flat, long overdue for an upgrade, currently consists of the
local war memorial, children’s playground, two tennis courts, and the former
bowling green. The former bowling clubrooms sit on a section of unformed legal
road which is not legally part of the reserve land.
The group
submitted a plan to develop new courts on the old bowling green site, a pump
track on one of the old tennis courts and relocation and upgrade of the
playground to the rear of the war memorial. External funding sources would be
used for some of the work.
The
community board agreed that the proposal was consistent with the reserve
management plan for the site and the redevelopment of existing assets within
the reserve area.
However,
the decision was not reached without robust discussion by the members.
The biggest
concern was noise generated by high intensity games such as pickleball and the
impact on nearby residents. There were also some misgivings, about the scale of
the redevelopment, and whether it would be utilised, and the impact on
ratepayers if Council took over the facility.
Other board
members took a different view, that people living next to a public reserve
should expect noise, that it was an asset to the town, and that the
redevelopment would result in more use of an under-utilised reserve.
Millers
Flat resident Pat Garden, who spoke on behalf of the steering group, said the
tranquillity aspect, cost and proposed elements had been thoroughly discussed
with the community, who were overwhelmingly in support of the project as
presented.
In their
report to the meeting, CODC Parks and Recreation Manager Gordon Bailey and
Asset Management Team Leader – Property Janice Remnant said the entire project
was estimated to cost $650,000, with the majority to be sought from third party
funding organisations; Council has not been asked for any funding towards
this project as the group was confident, they could raise the money required.
The Millers Flat Recreation Reserve Fund has a balance of $88,000. This fund
has come from depreciation of the Millers Flat Recreation Reserve. The
depreciation has been levied against the tennis courts, war memorial, seats and
playground.
Council
would continue maintaining the reserve under its Open Spaces contract and
carrying out the regular safety checks, mowing, spraying etc, therefore did not
anticipate any great change to costs, although there could be a slight increase
in maintaining artificial services if they required specialist care outside of
the Council’s capabilities.
There was
mention of the steering group using the old the former Millers Flat Bowling
Club clubrooms for storage or as a pavilion; however, the Council would need to
make some investigations as they are built on an unformed legal road. The road
would need to be stopped and transferred to the reserve, which will incur
survey costs and to amalgamate the titles.
If the
clubrooms were demolished, as had been recommended by the property team and
included in the 2025-34 Long-term Plan budgets, there would be no requirement,
but it would be prudent to follow the same legal process and incorporate the
land into the reserve.
The Council
has included the clubrooms in its consultation document as a potential asset to
divest. The outcome of that process will not be known until June 2025: Whatever
the outcome of this consultation there are Council operated public toilets
directly across the road from the reserve available for use should the
clubrooms be demolished.
The next
steps would be for the Council to consider submissions on the future of the
clubrooms, and Council staff would continue to work with the steering group to
ensure best outcomes were achieved.
