Unitec Sports Centre

The Unitec Sports Centre will close permanently on Thursday 14 April 2022.  

The land that the sports centre occupies has been sold to the Ministry of Housing and Development (MHUD) and will be handed over to them for development. 

This news may come as a shock to some of you and we share in your sadness as this icon of Mt Albert closes. The land sales to MHUD have been a necessary part of Unitec’s financial sustainability and MHUD housing plans for the area, and we appreciate the community’s support as we navigate these changes.

We had hoped that members could continue using the centre up until 14 April, but due to the effects of Covid-19 on staffing and the risk to Unitec student and staff in critical teaching classes held onsite, the centre is currently closed to gym members and will not open again.

What the Sports Centre closure means for members and community groups who use the Unitec Sports Centre

For gym members, HealthWise and D-A-S-H online group fitness classes will continue until 14 April – please check the group fitness Facebook page for online options. 

If you are a current member of Unitec Sports Centre, we will cancel your membership effective immediately and you will still be able to attend online group fitness classes from now until 14 April 2022. Members with contracts through Debit Success will not be cancelled automatically and won’t be charged any cancellation fees.  Members who have paid upfront will be reimbursed for any remaining credit, please contact ureccen@unitec.ac.nz to arrange this.

We are exploring alternative local options and venues for health and wellbeing. A list of options in the area, such as: gyms, fitness and wellbeing classes and outdoor recreation spaces will be updated here when available. 

At this stage, the following providers, who have been teaching classes at the sports centre, will continue to run activities online or at alternative venues. Please contact them for more information: 

The national squash centre will continue operating; please contact the national squash centre with any queries.

A message from our Unitec Sports Centre whānau

The Sports Centre team have shared these messages:  

“The announcement that Unitec Sports Centre is closing will come with great sadness to many, and we recognise that it has been an important and valued part of Mt Albert for many years. On behalf of all the staff at Unitec Sports Centre (Andrew, Richard, Lesley, Rob, Michael, Joe, Patrick, Dee, Jake, Sarah, Irina and Dani) we want to thank you for being part of the vibrant sports centre community. We hope you valued your time here as much as we did, and we wish you all the best for your future fitness journeys.” 

Richard Couldrey, Gym Team leader: "Having been at the Centre for many years I have seen many changes, but what hasn’t changed has been the strong sense of community in the gym. Truly ‘a real gym for real people’, (as our motto once said), which I think made it special. The sports centre family (both members and staff) have made it a great place to work”.  

Andrew Lenton, Team Leader: "I have had a great 2.5 years at the sports centre. I worked at several other gyms previously, but none compare to the sports centre. The vibe between all the great members and staff was special. Most of all, I am proud of the staff for always going above and beyond to create such a great environment and, especially, seeing two of my former students (Dee and Joe) grow and develop during their time here. It’s sad to say goodbye to the sports centre and members, but the one thing that’s constant is change and I wish you all the best for your next gym/fitness adventures!" 

More information

For more information, please contact the sports centre team: ureccen@unitec.ac.nz