PM opens AUT’s new campus
Prime Minister John Key confirmed his commitment to sport science at the official opening of the AUT Millennium Campus on Friday 29 June.
“Our sportspeople will not be at the highest level if they don’t have the best scientific support to back them up. It’s great to have AUT on board,” said Mr Key to an audience including athletes bound for the London Olympics.
AUT's fourth campus
The opening of AUT Millennium Campus, the fourth AUT campus, marks the completion of a $29 million upgrade of the existing facilities.
The campus, located in Mairangi Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, is now the home of high performance sport in New Zealand providing a base for many of the Kiwi team who will be competing at the London Olympics. It also houses healthcare services and sport facilities open to the public enhancing the health and well-being of the local community.
The new home of high performance sport in NZ
The two year long project sees a doubling of the floor area, an expanded sports medicine centre, High Performance Sport New Zealand headquarters and AUT’s Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand laboratory.
The SPRINZ laboratory comprises $2.4 million worth of brand new sport science testing equipment. It is now the leading sport science research laboratory in New Zealand.
The government, which contributed $15 million towards the facility upgrade, should be congratulated for its support said AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack.
“AUT Millennium is a wonderful example of where the government sees educational institutions going. It is the coming together in partnership with industry, professional experts and community, all working together,” he said.
Athletes preparing for London 2012 at the campus
Lauren Boyle, who is a member of the New Zealand Olympic swimming team training at AUT Millennium, spoke of how she is looking forward to the London Olympics.
“It’s great to see all the athletes together in the village. Especially those from countries where the athletes have far less resources than we have.”
The event also marked 10 years of success for Millennium Institute of Sport and Health (MISH) and its 10 year partnership with AUT. AUT Millennium is administered by AUT Millennium Ownership Trust – a 50:50 partnership between AUT and MISH.