On Monday 10 October a blessing of Stratford’s new aquatic centre was led by Ngāruahine, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāti Maru, with project team members, local MPs, elected members, staff and user groups in attendance.
District Mayor Neil Volzke says, “the blessing is a significant milestone for the facility and we acknowledge the collective effort required to complete a project of this size.”
SDC partnered with local iwi whose contributions, including design elements and the gift of the name ‘Wai O Rua’, have enriched the end result.
Taranaki artist WharehokaSmith has helped share a story that honours local tupuna Ruaputahanga and speaks to the purpose of the centre - a place of leisure and recreation, education, wellness and competition. The artwork that features across the front of the building tells this story, and there is more to come. The final touches of this artwork will be completed in the coming months – watch this space!
“This project has been delivered on time and on budget which is a real credit to all those involved,” says Mayor Volzke.
“This new aquatic centre will be a fantastic asset for our community and people across the region. It’s something we can all be proud of.”
An initial blessing for the construction site was led by iwi with SDC in February 2021. The building work started later that month and was completed at the end of September 2022.
For the last week, SDC staff have been busy getting the new facility up and running to open to the public.
An announcement on the public opening date will be shared this week.
