Cross-code collaboration helped secure a $400,000 boost for Taranaki turf sports as planning and fundraising for the Tūparikino Active Community Hub gathers pace.

The New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) grant will assist the Taranaki Synthetic Turf Trust (TSST) to replace the turf at New Plymouth’s Hobson Street facility, which is reaching the end of its life after 12 years of regular community use.

The upgrade, which is being partially funded by TSTT reserves, will replace the worn and increasingly flood-prone artificial turf surface and shock pad and raise the high ball fence by two metres – bringing the turf up to standard for regional hockey competition.

The development signals the first step of a long-awaited move to create a turf complex as part of the Tūparikino Active Community Hub at New Plymouth Racecourse. The first step was to resurface the existing Hobson Street turf. The next step is the development of a hockey turf, football turf and player/spectator pavilion at the Racecourse site. The complex will be managed by the Trust concurrently with the Hobson Street and Stratford turfs making an efficient regional network to cater for growing player numbers and boost community play opportunities. Hockey and football representatives will join the Trust to ensure the network is managed to maximise community access and use.

Taranaki Synthetic Turf Trust chair Lloyd Morgan said the significant support provided by NZCT for the turf replacement was the first step in an overall artificial turf development plan that lays a sustainable foundation for future growth for both hockey and football.

“An integrated facility will help increase regional participation rates and attract sporting teams to the area.” he said.

Tūparikino Active Community Hub director Steve Bramley said the Hobson Street turf was ideally placed to work in tandem with those at the nearby Hub.

“We’re seeking to work collaboratively with funders and user groups to achieve affordable and sustainable facilities and the best possible use of the available dollar,” he said.

Substantial work was also being undertaken to develop an operating model that helped subsidise community use for targeted groups that may otherwise miss out including users like Māori, those located around the region or those with disabilities.

“With a collaborative funding approach, sustainable business practices, and dynamic models of community collaboration and participation, the Hub will form part of an efficient regional network promoting equitable access for all of Taranaki.”

New Zealand Community Trust Chief Executive Mike Knell said: “The funding recognised the demonstrated need for increased turf facilities in Taranaki which was strongly supported by the collaborative approach of the applicant”.

“We’re pleased that the contribution and support of our venues in Taranaki along with the people who patronize them, will help hundreds if not thousands of people in Taranaki stay active in the years ahead”.

The Hobson Street turf fitout is set to begin during November 2022 with the surface operational again during February 2023.

Read the Taranaki Daily News coverage  

More on the Tūparikino Active Community Hub

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Article added: Thursday 25 August 2022