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Community Comment
"This is not just a sporting facility - the set up allows it to be used by all ratepayers!"
-Maree Sutton, Netball Taranaki
"The current facilities at Hicks Park are a bloody disgrace. As a ratepayer, I’m ashamed."
-Eddie Bourke, Inaha
"Just get on with it – if it costs another $1m, do it!"
-Selwyn Metcalfe, businessman
"I’m 100% behind the hub... the vibrancy of the community and future of our mokopuna are at stake."
-Kawai Leatherby, netball stalwart & grandmother
"It’s time to get on with the job. Do it once, do it right!"
-Fiona Hicks, Hawera Community Board
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Why are we building the hub?
- To replace the ageing, sub-standard and depressing facilities which sports clubs now use and which threaten the pride of the district’s sports clubs, both in terms of their own members and the teams which they host. the hub will represent a facility which will encourage greater participation in sport, fitness and active leisure activities by all age groups, catering to the needs of contemporary New Zealand.
- To provide modern, comfortable centralised facilities, which will attract more members in an effort to reverse the trend of declining memberships. New facilities, which are compliant with changing sport and health requirements, will make it easier for residents to get involved in sport or fitness and lead healthy and active lifestyles.
- To enable clubs to share resources and provide organised sport and leisure activities. On-site professional management will help reduce the demands on volunteers.
- To address the lack of modern, functional facilities in South Taranaki for conferences, events and expos.
- To make it easier for local businesses and service providers to attract skilled staff by offering the kinds of facilities people have come to expect.
- To attract more visitors into the district, through competitions, events, expos and conferences.
- To provide a family and community-focused venue. Parents will no longer have to travel between different venues to support their children who are involved in different activities; they can watch the whole family at one location, have a go in the fitness gymnasium and finish with a coffee or a meal at the hub’s cafe.
- To cater for the sporting and leisure needs of todays busy people who lack the time to commit to a whole day of sport. the hub will enable them to participate in sport and leisure activities in one place and over a time period to suit them rather than having to drive between sporting venues. This flexibility should especially appeal to South Taranaki’s high number of shift workers.
the hub will improve the lifestyles, health and pride of South Taranaki’s citizens. It will assist significantly in making the district a dynamic and vital place where people want to live, work and play. It will make a positive difference.
A regional facility
Taranaki has a strong sporting tradition, which is evident in the keen rivalry between the region’s three districts: South Taranaki, Stratford and North Taranaki. South Taranaki sports people keenly seek provincial representative honours and it is hoped that the hub will provide facilities of sufficient standard and spectator capacity to enable Taranaki teams to play home games in the district.
Geographically, the hub is ideally located between New Plymouth and Wanganui, two significant population centres – each one hour away. the hub will also make a huge contribution to a region which is under-supplied with adequate indoor function and sports facilities.
Clearly, the hub will not only be a great asset to South Taranaki, but will also be a key facility for sports, events and recreation in the region. In fact, the well-designed, spacious and multi-functionality of the hub makes it perfect for holding regional and national events, conferences, concerts, expos, festivals, hobbyist gatherings and competitions.
the hub is designed to complement the Region’s existing facilities. For example, the hub’s multi-purpose, artificial turf can be used for hockey games involving the district’s residents but without competing with Stratford’s dedicated hockey pitch, which could host a national masters hockey tournament. Quite the opposite: Stratford’s bid to host a national championship could be strengthened by having a multi purpose artificial turf available in Hawera.
Fascinating facts about the hub
- Construction costs will not add to rates. South Taranaki District Council has agreed to contribute up to $14.87 million, by way of a loan which will be repaid with payments made from the interest on its Long Term Investment Fund. The Fund’s principal will remain untouched, and will continue to provide an annual rates subsidy, as expected. In fact, the Fund will continue to earn interest and grow. Most of the $8 million balance is expected to come from funding agencies, corporate sponsors and community fundraising.
- Construction is planned in stages to accommodate fundraising efforts. The aim is for the first stage to start in early 2008 with an extension that will more than double the size of the existing facilities. Outdoor netball facilities are also planned in the first stage, scheduled for opening in June 2008.
- Outdoor facilities include netball, rugby, rugby league, hockey, touch, tennis, cricket and athletics. Indoor facilities include basketball, netball, volleyball, tennis, skating and badminton. Additional recreation features include a fitness gym and small-bore rifle range.
- the hub’s stadium comprises 5300 square metres.
- Meeting rooms, catering facilities, small conference rooms and training facilities will all be available.
- Hawera High School students will have easy access to the complex for school-related sports and events.
- Staff will be on-site to manage the complex and help people make the best use of the available facilities.
- There will be two indoor netball-sized courts with seating for up to 900 spectators. An upstairs function centre will have giant windows giving views of the action on the indoor courts and outside on the sports fields.
- Adjacent to the hub is the Powerco Aquatic Centre which is undergoing a $3 million upgrade. This upgrade has been planned to take place at the same time as the start of construction for the hub in order to enhance the fun and leisure aspects of the pool complex in the short term, making it possible to link the two facilities in the future.
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