Cricket set to return at Amberley’s new Eastern Reserve
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Cricket is set to find a new home in Amberley's Eastern Reserve, as the council plans to develop the area, including a potential play area, pump track and tennis courts.
The Hurunui District Council is revamping its reserves management plan, which helps shape how large green spaces are used in the region.
Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said the new Eastern Reserve in Amberley, also known as the village green, attracted interest among the submissions on the plan.
Cricket is proposed to be the main sport at the four hectare Eastern Reserve, leaving the Amberley Domain as the main football ground.
An area has been set aside for other sports and it will include a children’s play area and a pump track.
There was potential for tennis courts, croquet and various other sports, as well as a modest sports pavilion.
Mayor Marie Black said the development of the Eastern Reserve was an opportunity to ‘‘bring our community together’’.
‘‘We have an ageing demographic, but it is not just older people.
‘‘But older [people] love to walk across and see little kids playing cricket.’’
Submitters noted the Amberley Cricket Club had played cricket at the Amberley Domain since the 1890s, but it had not been played for several years due to the overlapping season with football.
It meant children were travelling to Sefton and Rangiora to play cricket.
Submitters hoped a new cricket ground in the Eastern Reserve would revive interest in the game in the town.
The council received nearly 200 submissions during its consultation, which coincided with the Long Term Plan submissions process.
After two days of hearings and deliberations last week, Dobbie said the process had been adjourned until August 6.
‘‘There is a lot of complexity in our reserves and how they work,’’ he said.
The Reserves Management Plan was adopted by the council in 2012, with the review beginning last year.
‘‘It is about setting a template. It is just a parcel of land at the moment," Dobbie said.
‘‘There is growth in the town and new people come in and they might have a different view about how things should operate.
‘‘Communities change.’’
Submitters also advocated for outdoor areas for light exercise and fellowship for the growing elderly population.
Other submissions addressed other reserves in Cheviot, Hanmer Springs, Glenmark, Omihi, Leithfield, Waipara and other parts of the district.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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