From October 5 the 18-year-old artificial hockey turf at Centennial Park would be lifted as installing a much-needed $470,000 replacement turf began, North Otago Recreational Turf Trust chairman Ray Simpson said.
In the operation, the turf would be upgraded to international standard.
After securing funding last month, Mr Simpson said Whitestone Contracting Ltd would re-lay the asphalt surface in October and Polytan NZ Ltd would install a new underlay and then the top surface in what was expected to be a four-week process. The turf was expected to be operational again by Christmas. Normally, the principal users, the North Otago Hockey Association, ran two summer leagues, one before and one after Christmas, but this year only one would be run.
Mr Simpson said he understood the association was eager to begin playing on an international level playing surface.
North Otago Hockey Association president Shaun Cunningham said players in the nearly 400-member association were ‘‘certainly looking forward to’’ the new blue turf, similar to the turf used at the Rio Olympics.
"We’re not putting the surface down just in the hope of getting an international game," Mr Cunningham said.
"We’re putting the surface down to suit our local club members."
However, he said he had "been keeping in contact with Hockey New Zealand" and understood there was "certainly a possibility of us getting internationals now".
"Obviously, our surface wasn’t good enough before but the new surface is done to their standards, so if we choose to take on the responsibility of hosting an international tournament — it is available."
Mr Simpson said the turf trust had been putting money aside for the project for the past 10 or 12 years.
New Zealand Lotteries ($100,000); the Otago Community Trust ($95,000); the Lion Foundation ($15,000); the New Zealand Community Trust ($15,000); the Alexander McMillan Trust ($20,000); and the Waitaki District Council ($36,000) had contributed to the project, with the remaind-er of the costs to be contributed by the turf trust.
A new hockey pavilion was opened at the turf in September 2015.
Hockey New Zealand general manager of community hockey and events Ken Maplesden said from Hockey New Zealand’s perspective "99% of the time it [the new turf] is for community use and growing hockey in the local area".
But he said over the past several years there were examples where new facilities had hosted Black Sticks games.
"If the timing is right ... and just the local ability both from a volunteer point of view and also from a funding point of view to get those teams down there, because as you can imagine it comes with a fair amount of cost when you start getting away from international airports and the like."
