The WCC has budgeted $9.5 million in the 2009/19 Long-term Council Community Plan for the construction of six new artificial-turf pitches around the city.
Provision of artificial turf was one of the most requested items in the Hutt City Council Long Term Council Community Plan, so where are they and how have they fared in Wellington? HCC sports grounds asset manager Aaron Marsh says the need for artificial pitches is lower in the Hutt than in Wellington. ?It?s a different working situation in the Hutt; we have more fields and grounds than Wellington. ?The number of soil fields and used usefully in a network with other regions grounds,? says Mr Marsh. Funding for artificial surfaces at Petone Memorial Park and other grounds is a local community request. 50 percent of people who responded to the council?s LTCCP questionnaire stated upgrading sports facilities and fields was a priority for the city. 23 requests were made to the council?s LTCCP, with soccer clubs especially vocal in favour of new turf. ?Soccer has been crying out for more grounds ... compared with past seasons this year went really well, they only got three or four games in the 2008 competition. ?The turf is wanted more for training purposes than playing, and there is some concern over the safety aspects and maintenance. ?At this stage we will introduce three of them in the next 10 years,? he says. Wellington City Council has 44 sports parks and Nairnville Park in Khanadallah was the first to receive an artificial turf. WCC sports ground manager Trevor Jackson says the response to the new turf has been ?tremendous?. The $900,000 pitch?is able to be used in all types of weather and better meets the needs of sports groups by providing for training and competition games. The multi-use pitch hosts cricket and softball in summer and helps soccer teams keep up training. ?The major winner has been the junior football teams; they have been there from 8am to 6pm on Saturdays in winter. ?The field has a strike pad underneath and rubber-crumb filling with sand, it?s a third generation surface that has come a long way ? it no longer burns players,? says Mr Jackson. A decompression machine is used to keep the field from becoming too tough and rugby teams have successfully played on it. "The turf has been an unqualified success," says Onslow councillor John Morrison. "However, it became clear earlier this year the local community was being put under considerable pressure by the large number of games being scheduled simultaneously on the field. ?Particularly in regard to traffic and parking, road safety was becoming a concern,? says Cr Morrison. As a result, new parking and traffic management initiatives, including a pick-up and drop-off area and an increase in 'no parking' zones, were introduced around the park. The WCC has budgeted $9.5 million in the 2009/19 Long-term Council Community Plan for the construction of six new artificial-turf pitches around the city.
