An upgrade to the Wānaka Recreation Centre’s (WRC) floor will not begin until mid-2026 at the earliest, despite concerns from members of the sporting community.

A number of Upper Clutha community submissions made to the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) Long-term Plan (LTP), including several from the netball fraternity, asked the council to improve the floor, which has been in place since the WRC opened in 2016.

The council acknowledged some submissions “from a small range of user groups” wanted the existing solid floor replaced with a wooden sprung floor.

The submitters “suggested there had been injuries on the indoor courts attributable to the surface”, QLDC said, and a formal complaint had also been lodged.

Council staff said 116 injuries have been reported since 2018. 

Although the rate of injury has increased in recent years, almost doubling from 26 to 50 injuries recorded between 2023 to 2024, the recorded injuries represent less than 0.1 per cent of the total number of WRC users.

QLDC said 85 per cent of reported incidents were sports-related injuries, including sprains, strains, knee injuries, and player contact.

“Statistics on recorded injuries at WRC suggest that pivoting sports, such as netball, handball, and basketball, pose a higher risk of injury compared to other court-based activities,” the council said.

Aspiring Gymsports laid floor mats for their public performance at the WRC in 2021.

The WRC’s existing indoor courts have a multi-purpose floor called ‘Rebound Ace’, which was “selected for its versatility” and cost-effectiveness.

Council staff said although a sprung floor created a number of benefits for active users it also had disadvantages for community facilities that were designed to cater for a wide range of purposes, events and activities.

A sprung floor improves shock absorption, enhances player comfort and performance and provides excellent ball response, but is also costly to install, susceptible to damage and requires regular maintenance, staff said.

QLDC has allocated $524K for the floor upgrade project, including $500k for a new wooden floor and, although the project’s business case is complete, the funding is not available until year three (2026-2027) of the council’s current 10-year plan.

As well as the floor replacement the business case also considered the potential implications for other features in the indoor courts such as ramps/floor levels, floor sockets for sports equipment, basketball hoop heights and so on, council said.

Council staff said the courts have seen a lot of action since the centre opened in 2016 and remedial work, such as renewing the lines on the courts, was carried out last month.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App