First published on 1 October 2024 on Newsline

Work on one of New Zealand’s most versatile indoor court spaces is nearing completion, with 3500 metres of line markings now painted on the floor at Christchurch’s under construction Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre.

The facility’s community courts space includes six full-size basketball courts, six netball courts, 12 volleyball courts, six badminton courts, and three international futsal courts. Notably, the futsal courts can also accommodate handball, korfball, and floorball.

James Hooper from installation experts - Hardwood Technology, says line marking is his team’s favourite part of the job.

“It’s a physically and mentally demanding part of the process. There’s a specific colour and line width for each sport and a hierarchy to the lines based on which sports will be played most frequently. Where these lines overlap, we must make sure we have the right coloured line on top.

“We go over those 3500 metres of lines about eight times, marking out, running tape, cutting out the courts, rolling, cleaning, clear coating, painting and finally removing the tape. Many days installers can end up walking about 20km. You may say we don’t look that fit, but you can maintain a good dad bod with the right diet,” says Mr Hooper.

In the coming weeks, Hardwood Technology will apply around 500 litres of polyurethane to protect the almost 5000m2 floor.

“It’s exciting to see it all come together. The floor looks brand new, and we can’t wait to see people using it,” says Mr Hooper.

Crown infrastructure company, Rau Paenga, is responsible for the delivery of the facility. Christchurch City Council will operate Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre when it opens in late 2025.