The old Mataura hockey turf, which is showing signs of
wear, will be superseded by a new facility adjacent to the
Gore Multi-Sport Complex. Photo by Tuangane Matangi.
The green light has been given to the building of a new
$1.5 million water-based hockey turf at Gore's Wayland Park on
land beside the Gore Multi-Sports Complex.
The turf redevelopment committee had been exploring options
in regard to redevelopment of its all-weather hockey turf.
Gore District Council chief executive Steve Parry said in a
council report in June, the present turf, installed in 1992
at Mataura, was expected to last about 12 years and although
it had served hockey well in that time, it was now well past
its use-by date.
A hearing panel this week granted The Eastern Southland
Hockey Association a land-use resource consent needed for the
construction of the new hockey turf.
Eastern Southland Turf Redevelopment Committee chairman Vince
Aynsley was notified on Wednesday of the outcome of the
resource consent process and he was delighted it had been
granted.
"We're definitely happy. It's a reasonably big hurdle out of
the way," Mr Aynsley said.
He said the council had been swift in processing the consent
and that had been very much appreciated.
It meant the committee would be able to keep to its time
line.
It was expected construction of the turf would start in
mid-November/December and it was hoped the turf would be
ready for the start of next winter's hockey season.
The committee hoped to call for tenders for the construction
of the turf next week and it almost had all the funds in hand
that were needed for the project.
The committee would be talking to turf specialists within
about two weeks, he said.
He was confident of meeting financial and time deadlines
because the committee had employed a project manager who
would ensure the project ran smoothly.
Mr Aynsley said the building of the new turf would bring
beneficial economic spin-offs to the district.
It would mean large tournaments could be held at the
facility.
It would also mean parents would be able to drop children off
at the multi-sport site and they would be able to take part
in different sports at the one site.
It would provide a single drop off and pick up point for
children in those different codes.
Hearing commissioner David Pullar said in the consent
document, the application had written approval from many of
the site's immediate neighbours.
The submissions received on the application were either in
support or neutral, Mr Pullar said.
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