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Parakiore’s sensory centre takes out national award
First published on Newsline on 1 September 2026.
The innovation on display at Parakiore’s Sensory Aqua Centre has been recognised at recent national aquatics awards.
The central city sports facility’s Sensory Aqua Centre is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It impressed judges at last week’s Recreation Aotearoa Aquatics Awards in Auckland – taking out the 2026 Aquatics Innovation Programmes Award.
It was a double win for the Council at the awards, with Te Pou Toetoe: Linwood Pool’s Ben Aveyard also being named the 2026 Lifeguard of the Year.
Christchurch City Council Head of Recreation, Sport and Events Nigel Cox says the win reinforces the importance the Council places on equal opportunities and accessibility.
“We believe that everyone deserves access to recreation, sport and leisure facilities. The centre is a purpose-built multi-sensory space that was created to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for the community.”
Key features include a beach-entry pool, bubble columns, misting sprays, interactive water jets, a tactile Canterbury-themed wall and a “how things work” wall with pumps and cisterns.
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“Centre users have the freedom to explore, play and control their water play in a predictable aquatic environment, in a way that they can’t usually at a public pool. The space is extremely popular, with 6500 people having used it in the first six months of it opening. Bookings are necessary to ensure availability,” Mr Cox says.
Recreation Aotearoa Aquatics Programme Manager Rhiann Collins says the centre is an amazing space and a benchmark for accessibility and inclusion in aquatic recreation.
“Judges commended the extensive community engagement in the design and delivery of the space, and the ongoing commitment to acting on feedback to improve visitor experiences.”
Multisensory Facilitators support users to experience the space at their own pace and in their own way, ensuring an individualised experience/ approach.
The Council has several other sensory spaces on offer across its Recreation and Sports Centres. These include sensory swim sessions, gentle tumble play and the Sensory Centre at Pioneer – which was the Council’s original sensory space and groundbreaking at the time.
