Turf boosted by $200,000 community trust grant

The third turf in the city - badly needed for the growing number of hockey players in Dunedin - is a step closer to fruition after a $200,000 grant to the project by the Community Trust of Otago.

The trust announced its contribution in its latest round of funding and Otago Hockey Association general manager Rachel Minton-Smith said the $200,000 was a great first step in securing funding for the project.

The $1.7 million turf was a three-way venture involving the association, the Dunedin City Council and King's High School. It will be situated on part of King's High School sports grounds.

Minton-Smith said the project was taking shape but it could not be rushed and the association was aiming to have the turf up and operating at the start of the 2018 season.

''At the moment it is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle where you have to get some parts done and put in place before you can even start looking at the next part of the puzzle,'' she said. She said some funders only committed when others had come to the party.

A geotech report and a site survey of the land where the turf would be situated, beside the new cricket nets at King's, had come back positive.

The association was working on the resource consent for the turf and she said it was making sure everything was ticked off.

There had been hopes the turf would be constructed by the middle of next year but Minton-Smith said the goal was for the start of 2018 season.

The association would be talking to neighbours of the school as the turf would have lighting. However, it was hoped to have less light spill than occurred at the McMillan Centre.

Minton-Smith said the school had been fantastic while the council had also been very helpful.

The turf was badly needed as the two turfs could not cope with the players, games and practices over a week.

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