Te Kupenga o Rongomai - Maidstone Sports Hub

1. The project has achieved CPU allowing the Clubs to access the building. Defect work remaining and slated for completion in March.
2. Te Kupenga o Rongomai – Maidstone Sports Hub was  blessed on 2 February, 2024 by Kura Moeahu, Chair of 'Te Runanga nui o Te Āti Awa’. Mayor Wayne Guppy, Councillors, and Rt Hon Chris Hipkins along with foundation and non-foundation club members, the facility Manager, Council staff, and members of the Te Aka o te Kupenga – Maidstone Park Trust in attendance.  
3. ‘Te Kupenga o Rongomai Unveiled: A Community Celebration’ (launch event) took place on  9 March , 2024, from 11am – 2pm. The event was a  day full of fun and sports activities designed to engage the community and introduce the community to the sports hub facility, the wider park complex, and foundation and non-foundation clubs.
4. The overall project is currently tracking close to budget with various added improvements and Parks work progressing.
5. New toilets/changing space near the hockey turf are tracking to be completed in April.
6. Bollards and fencing to more clearly define parking and non parking spaces near the hub are tracking to be completed in April.
7. Building signage is ongoing with large club side sign scheduled for mid-March. Street side signage is being designed and will be installed shortly after.
8. Demolition work on the former Boxing and Green Room buildings has started after coordination with clubs and the Trust, demolition is scheduled to take two weeks.
9. Sports field lighting is ongoing and scheduled for completion early April.
10. Loose furniture procurement is nearing competition with all but a few items delivered and installed on site. It is anticipated that loose furniture procurement will be completed in April. 

Te Kupenga o Rongomai - Maidstone Sports Hub

• Maidstone Sports Hub has been renamed at the last Council meeting on 1 November to Te Kupenga o Rongomai - Maidstone Sports Hub

• The new name has been gifted by Te Āti Awa and makes a connection between Te Kupenga (a fishing net) and the Hub's outreach to the community, fostering unity and collaboration. 

  Shared clubrooms and indoor training facility

• Buildings are 100% dried in. Waterproofing work continues at the Grandstand allowing glass balustrades and seating to be installed next Month.
• Tremendous amount of interior work has progressed during the race to final completion. Sports flooring is programmed for next Month with interior linings and painting nearing completion.
• Car park works almost complete, and it includes the decision to replace the existing paving with new. This was partially funded by the Contractor. Concrete kerbing and walkways to be completed shortly.

Te Aka o te Kupenga - Maidstone Park Trust

• Maidstone Trust has been renamed at the last Council meeting on 1 November to Te Aka o te Kupenga Maidstone Park Trust

• The ‘aka’ or vine is the thread that holds the entire net, it supports the net, shapes the net, it’s the part you hold to guide the nets direction,
• “The aka, in many instances, is also responsible for delivering waiora (waters of sustenance) and is an indication of life. There is also the added play on words, in its connection with Akatarawa as one of the key mountain ranges in the area.” 

• Two new trustees have been appointed from 1 November, Alice O’ Connor and Vincent Jagers

About the new Trustees

Alice O’Connor:

Alice is currently engaged in Employment Relations within the Public Service, notably contributing to the Water Services Reform Programme. Although not originally from Upper Hutt, having made the move from Christchurch to Wellington in 2010, she officially became a local in 2017 upon settling in Upper Hutt with her partner. The decision to pursue the Trustee role was fueled by a genuine desire to give back to the community. As she steps into this role, Alice looks forward to actively engaging with diverse community groups and witnessing the vibrant utilisation of Maidstone Sports Hub. You can usually find her staying active by exploring the scenic tracks around Upper Hutt and Te Awa Kairangi, and whenever time permits, they indulge in their passion for travel.

Vincent Jaggers:

As the business manager for Clark Construction Services, located on Railway Ave in Maidstone, directly opposite the new facility at Maidstone Park, Vincent oversees a wide range of construction projects. Vincent’s responsibilities span from residential concrete crack repairs to large-scale civil infrastructure initiatives. Although born and raised in Christchurch, both of his parents have roots in Upper Hutt, and after moving to the area six years ago for work and to be closer to his partner, Rachel, they have witnessed the significant growth and transformation of Upper Hutt. Seeking a deeper connection with the community and a meaningful undertaking, he eagerly accepted a position on the board. Vincent’s focus is on meeting the needs of the diverse members of the community and collaborating to maximise the benefits of both existing and new facilities at Maidstone Park. Balancing the demands of managing the business side of construction, he cherishes the limited free hours spent walking with his partner and their two border collies, exploring local cafes for the best cup of coffee, and maintaining a close bond with their grandmother in Riverside. Despite a busy schedule, family remains a priority, with regular visits to Christchurch to spend time with their dad, sister, and niece.

Other parts of the Masterplan for Maidstone Park

• Dug outs and bleachers on the multi turf have been installed with some minor finishing work to do.
• Bleachers by the hockey turf have been installed
• Whakatiki Park. The softball diamond alterations have been completed
• Whakatiki Park Pavilion agreed works completed.
• Maidstone Park Toilet Block – building work has been completed at the Permaloo factory in Gisborne. Site clearance is finished, and the consent is being completed to install the new facility.

Social Media

Follow Te Aka o te Kupenga on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram

 Shared clubrooms and indoor training facility

• Exterior cladding and roofing are complete. Grandstand is of particular interest with the exterior soffit completed and scaffolding removed. Windows and exterior doors are nearly finished, completing the “dry-in” milestone.
• This allows extensive interiors work to continue including first fix of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, AV, and security services. Interior linings are now progressing with 2^nd fix to be started while this is ongoing.
• Car Parks work progressing nicely, with underground works complete, concrete kerbing and building sidewalks ongoing. Asphalt placement will be ready to commence after final base course compaction in the next few weeks.

Maidstone Trust

• The new General Manager, Cindy Robinson started on the 25 September.
• The Trustees of the new Maidstone Park Trust are continuing to meet regularly to establish policies and procedures, pricing outline, and operational guidelines.

• Advertised for two Maidstone Park Trustees throughout August. The applications closed 4 September. Council appointed a sub-committee (Council meeting on 20 September) to shortlist, interview and bring recommendations back to full Council on 1 November.

Interviews of shortlisted applicants taking place on 20 October.

Other parts of the Masterplan for Maidstone Park

• Bookings have now begun for the artificial turfs.
• The upgrade of the pétanque terrain is now completed as are the tree area vehicle barriers.
• Development of the design and further pricing of the new field lighting is still being worked through.

Shared clubrooms and indoor training facility

• The structural steel and pre-cast concrete work including grandstands is complete. Check out the latest drone footage to see the progress.
• Mechanical and fire sprinkler service work is proceeding with roofing almost finished.
• Work continues on the exterior walls framing and cladding to enable dry-in date of July 2023, allowing extensive interior works to commence.
• Work has started on the new carpark area and will be progressing for the next few months.

Video

Other parts of the Masterplan for Maidstone Park

• New dugouts for the artificial turf were ordered early May with a 6 – 8 week delivery and install timeframe. Our Parks team is leading this work and we’re expecting these to arrive by the end of June.
• Our Parks team is also managing the design and install process for the toilets and changing area at the northern end of the park, where old conservatory gardens are. This location has been chosen so we can easily connect to the sewer mains at the street. The engineering design has been finalised and is being priced up. Once confirmed, the next step is to seek building consent.
• The upgrade of the pétanque terrain is almost complete with just the new shelter seating to be installed. These are due to arrive this week which will see the successful completion of this part of the project.
• Development of the design and further pricing of the new field lighting is still being worked through.
• The Parks and Activation teams continue to progress the development of the walking/fitness path around the park. Inclusions, where the path will go, and pricing are be explored.

Maidstone Trust

• The Trustees of the new Maidstone Park Trust are continuing to meet regularly to establish policies and procedures, pricing outline, and operational guidelines.
• Work to recruit a General Manager for the facility is well underway with an announcement of the successful applicant due in August.
• The Trustees have commenced connecting and engaging with key stakeholders and intend to continue this over the next few months.
• Advertising for two new Trustees for the Maidstone Park Trust has commenced with applications closing on 4 September 2023. Click here for more information

   

Shared clubroom and indoor training facility

• The greenroom now has windows and a roof, external cladding has started, and the level one concrete slab has begun.
• The building is scheduled to be completed by the end of this calendar year but as usual this is subject to any supply chain issues and dependent on the weather.
• Planning for demolition of the boxing club and greenroom buildings has begun with asbestos assessments complete (thankfully none!).  This work will be started after those sports move into the new hub.

New field Lighting

• We’ve got a funding boost for the new field lighting system thanks to an additional $1M contribution from Council’s Three Waters Better Off Funding package. Development of the design and further pricing is currently underway.

Other parts of the Masterplan for Maidstone Park

• Concept plans are currently being developed by our Parks team for the new toilets and changing space on the northern side of the hockey turf and tennis courts. Once concept plans are developed, further information will be shared with the relevant organisations and their delegates. We expect that we'll be in touch in the next couple of months.
• New dugouts for the artificial turf and improved shelter at the hockey turf are also being explored. The Parks team is also leading this development and are in talks with suppliers and viewing multiple options.
• The pétanque terrain upgrade is complete and the final components are to be installed soon including some new seating and an additional small shelter.
• The Parks and Activation teams are taking a lead on the development of the walking/fitness path around the park. Inclusions, where the path will go, and pricing are currently being explored. Some targeted community engagement may be undertaken by the Activation team prior to final decisions.
• We recently met with the Upper Hutt Smallbore Rifle Club to review the needs for the clubrooms and are in the process of reviewing these needs against the allocated budget.

Maidstone Park Trust

• The Trustees of the new entity are continuing to meet regularly and are currently meeting with similar organisations such as Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Fraser Park Sportsville, and Toitu Poneke.
• They are now a registered Charitable Trust and are continuing to setup their administrative functions.
• The Trustees are in planning for how they connect with their stakeholders and intend to connect within the next few months.

DECEMBER 2022

The project has continued to progress well since our last update in October.  Here’s a quick update on where things are at as we approach the end of the year. 

Trustees

• The Maidstone Park Trust trustees have signed the Deed of the Trust and are now in negotiations with the Council regarding the management agreement. The management agreement will outline the Trust's responsibilities on behalf of the Council and the community regarding some of the facilities on Maidstone Park. 
• The Trust has many steps to undertake before they can operate and will be taking these steps over the next few months. This includes incorporating as a registered charitable trust, acquiring a bank account, setting up with IRD, and registering as a charity. 
• The Trustees are looking forward to meeting with all the key stakeholders and undertaking site visits in the first quarter of 2023.  
• One of the most important actions for the trustees is to establish a Statement of Intent The 3-year Statement of Intent will set out the Trust's objectives and the nature and scope of the activities it will carry out. The work on this will begin after the trustees have met with stakeholders. It will be presented to Council and be made publicly available. 

Shared clubroom

• Precast unit installation is progressing well with all units programmed for completion by Christmas. 
• Reinforcing steel for the remainder of the beams will be completed over the Christmas period. 
• Remaining areas of concrete slabs will be completed after the Christmas period. 
• Drainage has been installed in the changing rooms, and the underground services are complete. 

Indoor training facility

• Installation of the lower roof over the services area has commenced. The remainder of the roof will be completed after the Christmas period. 
• All structural steel completed, and the timber framing of the storage areas complete. 
• The team will continue to work over the holiday period to ensure the project stays on track. 

Videos

• You can view the latest drone footage of the shared clubrooms and indoor facility on our YouTube channel (click below to view).  
  
  

Petanque terrain

• Many improvements have now been completed including the block wall seating, extra piste base and edging, and new chain-link fence.
• Other improvements are waiting on delivery of materials including piste pebble, path adjustments, and shelters.

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE

A group of new Trustees have been appointed to the newly created Maidstone Park Trust. 

The Trust, guided by Upper Hutt City Council as a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO), will govern the Maidstone Park Community Sports Hub which includes the shared clubrooms and indoor training facility (currently under construction), and other associated park functions.

The Trustees were appointed by an interview committee consisting of four Councillors and an independent appointee. “The process for shortlisting and assessing the ten applicants interviewed was thorough and robust” says Council’s Director of Community Services, Mike Ryan.

“The committee was cognizant of ensuring that there was a complimentary mix of skill sets and governance experience amongst the Trustees. We’re confident that the Trustees appointed will work together to advance the purposes of the Trust and enhance the usage of the Maidstone Park Community Sports Hub and in turn the growth of sport, physical activity and play opportunities within our community.”

The Trustees will appoint a Chair and Deputy Chair at their first meeting scheduled for November.

The Trustees have a significant amount of work to get through which includes the signing of the Trust Deed, signing of the Management Agreement with Council, registering themselves as a Charitable Trust, developing all the processes and policies for the operation of the hub, employment of staff, along with stakeholder engagement and the establishment of an Operating Advisory Committee.

Jointly funded by Council and the Government’s Covid infrastructure recovery fund, the Maidstone Community Sports Hub project is on track to be completed by September 2023, years ahead of its original timeframe. 

Left to right – Julie Morrison, Julie Hood, Zara Kljakovic, Christina Edmonds, Tania Yorwarth, Kelvin Watson 

MAY 2022 UPDATE

We have formally adopted a proposal that will see a new Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) created for Maidstone Park, following consultation with the community earlier this year.

Several operating models were assessed to determine the best approach, but a CCO (with charitable trust status) that will provide and promote sporting, recreation, play and leisure opportunities at Maidstone Park, was the option consulted on and supported by the community.

A CCO is an entity in which one or more local authorities control 50% or more of voting rights or appoint 50% or more of the members of the governing body.

The CCO will initially be responsible for the governance, management and operation of the new shared clubrooms and indoor training facility (green room) currently under construction. The CCO will also take on the responsibilities of the Maidstone Park Turf Trust, which is to be wound up. This Trust oversees the bookings for the multi-use artificial turf and training areas and the bottom level of the pavilion facility (changing rooms and storage).

Progress on the new facility is tracking well, with an estimated completion date of September 2023.

Funding for this (and other additional improvements at Maidstone Park) was received from Council, and the Government as part of its Covid-19 recovery response infrastructure programme.

Director of Community Services, Mike Ryan says “it’s important to us that the current and future groups who will use the park have a well-managed facility and get the access and support they need.”

“The next step is to appoint trustees to be in place by September/October 2022. The CCO Trustee positions will be open to all within the community, through a transparent, skill-based appointment process. Once appointed, the trustees will start creating their Statement of Intent, engaging staff, and establishing an Operations Advisory Committee” Ryan says.

More information about the consultation and the establishment of the CCO is available here: letskorero.upperhuttcity.com/mp-trust

FEBRUARY 2022 UPDATE

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Sport and Recreation, Grant Robertson, joined Mayor Guppy, Minister Hipkins, and other community representatives at Maidstone Park on Friday to mark the official ground-breaking of the Maidstone Community Sport Hub project.

The comprehensive redevelopment of Upper Hutt’s sporting and recreation hub has been fast-tracked thanks to a $15 million funding boost from the Government.

With demolition of the old club rooms complete, this milestone marks the first phase of construction which will see a new, shared clubrooms and indoor training facility.

Bringing together a number of sporting facilities at a centralised hub and creating partnerships between groups, provides the opportunity to consolidate facilities and the operation to be more sustainable and efficient for the future.

“We know many of our sports and clubs here in Upper Hutt are finding it tough to keep things going, with the impacts of COVID-19 and rising operating costs” says Mayor Guppy. “Bringing everyone together to share the new facilities will be an absolute game changer.”

The hub has been designed in collaboration with the key sports clubs based at Maidstone Park to ensure it meets local needs, but once complete, Upper Hutt City Council believes it will position Maidstone Park as one of the top recreation and leisure destinations in the region.

“With nearby public transport and hospitality offerings, and the recently redeveloped and incredibly popular Maidstone Max, the park has the potential to become a unique and much sought after destination” Mayor Guppy says.

The Maidstone Community Sports Hub is a major project planned in Upper Hutt City Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan (LTP). It’s on track for completion in late 2023, years ahead of its original timeframe.

You can watch a video of the sports hub design and read more about the project below.

Photo (L to R): Minister Robertson, Will Coard (Maycroft), Mayor Guppy, Nigel Grenside (Maycroft), Minister Hipkins and Pip Julian (Stephenson & Turner).

JANUARY 2022 UPDATE

The Maidstone Community Sports Hub project is well underway thanks to funding from the Government’s COVID-19 recovery response infrastructure programme and council.

Now we’re looking ahead to make sure that once complete, we have the right model in place to manage the facilities, and to support the organisations that use the park.

We’ve assessed several options to determine the best approach and we think establishing a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) to provide and promote sporting, recreation, play and leisure opportunities for the community at Maidstone Park, is the best option. 

We’d like to hear what you think.

To read the Statement of Proposal and to make a submission, go to letskorero.upperhuttcity.com/mp-trust

Feedback closes at 5pm on 24 February 2022.

DECEMBER 2021 UPDATE

SEPTEMBER 2021 UPDATE

On Monday 13 September, construction of the new indoor training facility and shared clubrooms will begin at Maidstone Park. With contractors’ onsite and the building cordoned off, there will be some changes to the vehicular and pedestrian access for members of the public.

Parking
There will be no public parking onsite at the construction site, as indicated on the map below in red. Instead, we ask the community to look for other parking areas such as on street parking in Railway Ave, Maidstone Terrace, or Park Street, as well as considering public transport options on game days.

Pedestrian access
Pedestrian access to the Heretaunga Boxing Club building, Rams Gym, and the rugby fields is shown on the map below in yellow. There will also be way-finding signage on display in these areas.

Rugby fields
Premier rugby games in 2022 will still be played at Maidstone Park on our premium playing surfaces, and Portacom changing facilities will be provided.

Want to know more?
For more information about the Maidstone Community Sports Hub project, go to:

• Contact a member of our project team at mcshinfo@uhcc.govt.nz.
• Follow us on Facebook @UpperHuttCityCouncil.
• If you’re interested in booking Maidstone Park for a sporting event, go to our website and search ‘Book a park’.

JULY 2021 UPDATE

•  We’re building a new indoor training facility and shared clubrooms, to help community sport and activities in Upper Hutt thrive.
• It’s the first stage of a three year project which involves upgrades to multiple sporting facilities at the park. Construction is kicking off in September.
• The new community indoor training facility and shared clubrooms will be built where the UH Rams RFC clubrooms are today. The club will move to temporary premises for the 2022 rugby season, and will then co-locate with other sports clubs and groups in the new building.
• The wider components of the sports hub project (upgraded car park, petanque pistes, new tennis shelter, football dugouts, hockey shelters etc.) will be delivered in Stage two (in future financial years and as cashflow is available).
• This project is being jointly funded by Upper Hutt City Council and the Government, as part of the Covid-19 recovery response infrastructure programme.

JULY 2021 UPDATE

• We’re building a new indoor training facility and shared clubrooms, to help community sport and activities in Upper Hutt thrive.
• It’s the first stage of a three year project which involves upgrades to multiple sporting facilities at the park. Construction is kicking off in September.
• The new community indoor training facility and shared clubrooms will be built where the UH Rams RFC clubrooms are today. The club will move to temporary premises for the 2022 rugby season, and will then co-locate with other sports clubs and groups in the new building.
• The wider components of the sports hub project (upgraded car park, petanque pistes, new tennis shelter, football dugouts, hockey shelters etc.) will be delivered in Stage two (in future financial years and as cashflow is available).
• This project is being jointly funded by Upper Hutt City Council and the Government, as part of the Covid-19 recovery response infrastructure programme.

JUNE 2021 UPDATE

Where are things at? 

• Preliminary designs have been costed and the project remains under significant financial constraints due to COVID-19 related supply chain and material costs issues (e.g., materials cost escalations, increased labour costs, freight charges).   
• To mitigate the impact of these constraints, we have undertaken a value engineering exercise to see where costs can be saved in the larger components of the project (the new community sports hub building, including the shared greenroom and carpark).  Our architects are working through what this could mean for the building design, but any changes will not materially change the end user experience. 
• We made a bid through the 2021 Long Term Plan deliberations to ask Council to consider further investment in the project and are identifying other external funding. 

Have Council invested further funds in this project? 

• Subsequent to the Long Term Plan (LTP) deliberations on May 26 2021, Council resolved to include an additional $13.5 million (up to) in the LTP to ensure that the community sports hub concept at Maidstone Park is future-proofed for the community.  
• This resolution is draft until auditing of the decisions is undertaken, and the LTP is formally adopted on the 29 June 2021.   
• There is a requirement to seek external funding in order to reduce the $13.5m where possible and reduce the reliance on ratepayer funds.   
• Council also decided on a staged approach in terms of the project deliverables, so that the costs could be spread over more than one financial year, with the aim of not impacting on Council’s debt ceiling. The extra budget comes in LTP Year 2 (2022/23) and Year 3 (2023/24). 

What does a staged approach mean? 

• It means that in the first instance the shared clubrooms and indoor training facility will be prioritised for delivery and that the wider components of the masterplan will be delivered in future years.  Having said that, we will continue to look for opportunities to bring work forward (subject to cashflows). 

Why do we have to seek further funding opportunities if Council has invested more money in the project? 

• We want to minimise the reliance on ratepayer funds, so we will look for other funding to reduce Council’s overall contribution.  

What does this mean for sports clubs at the park?  

• Costs have been allocated for most components of the masterplan, but for some sports/clubs, further discussion is still required as to what is needed at the park in terms of facilities.  It is especially important to note that the final design of scope items are subject to further discussion with Councillors and Crown Infrastructure Partners. Aside from the community sports hub building and carpark, all other amounts for individual scope items are best estimates and are subject to change. 

When will the project start? 

• It is envisaged that ground-breaking on the site of the existing rugby clubrooms will start in early September.  We are working with UH Rams RFC to help them to transition out of this space whilst construction is underway. 

What could community sports hub building look like?

A major project is under way to transform the park, the Maidstone Community Sports Hub (MCSH), comprising of a new shared clubrooms, indoor training facility and a number of smaller, upgraded facilities in various parts of the park.

Bringing together a number of sporting facilities at a centralised hub and creating partnerships between groups, provides the opportunity to consolidate facilities and the operation to be more sustainable and efficient for the future. The hub has been designed in collaboration with the key sports clubs based at Maidstone Park to ensure it meets local needs, but once complete, we believe it will position Maidstone Park as one of the top recreation and leisure destinations in the region. With nearby public transport and hospitality offerings, and the recently redeveloped and incredibly popular Maidstone Max, the park has the potential to become a unique and much sought after destination.

The project was formally initiated in mid-2020 and following detailed design, with input from the park's key stakeholders throughout 2021, construction started in September 2021.

The high level masterplan on this page shows the various components of the project.  

We're working with the following Treaty partners and stakeholders: Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Mātāwaka, Ōrongomai Community Marae, UH Rams Rugby Football Club (UH Rams RFC), Heretaunga Boxing Club, UH Petanque, UH Tennis Club, UH Judo Club, Rimutaka Aikido Club, UH Athletics, Totara Park Softball Club, Moonshine Table Tennis Club, Maidstone Model Engineering Society, UH Hockey, Maidstone Park Charitable Trust, Wellington Region Hockey Stadium Trust, UH Smallbore Rifle Club, UH City Football Club

Since August 2020, we've been in regular contact with all of the sports and clubs who operate at the park. Clubs nominated two representatives who continue to liaise with the project team. Club representatives attended workshops with architects and other clubs to understand current and future needs. There were a number of opportunities for the wider community to engage in the project, through our Facebook page and at various locations across the city. We ran a 'Sharing Memories' series on Facebook, featuring some of the clubs who operate at the park and some of their most iconic, historical moments. The official ground-breaking event with Ministers Robertson and Hipkins was shared across local, regional and national news channels in February 2022.

$15m has been granted from the Covid-19 recovery response infrastructure programme (formerly Shovel Ready Projects) government funding to the re-development of Maidstone Park. We have an existing investment of $6.4m for the project and recently set aside another $13.5m in the draft 2021 Long Term Plan. Pending confirmation of the final scope and design, the estimated project value is now in the range of $31.8m.

The government announced in 2020 that the project would be fast-tracked with a $12 million funding boost. That was increased to $15m in late 2021.

We’ve been working closely with the resident sports and clubs (in particular with Upper Hutt Rams RFC and Heretaunga Boxing Club) to design the masterplan (which has been formally endorsed by Council). The detailed designs were done by architects, Stephenson & Turner.

Construction started in September 2021, with site preparation, asbestos removal and demolition of the existing clubrooms.

Maycroft Construction

The multipurpose sports facility includes shared clubrooms, shared artificial indoor training facilities, and equipment storage will be utilised by multiple clubs (Rugby, Netball, Aikido, Boxing, Judo & Table Tennis). Different facilities within the venue will also be available for hire.

In the first instance the shared clubrooms and indoor training facility will be prioritised for delivery and that the wider components of the masterplan will be delivered in future years. Having said that, we will continue to look for opportunities to bring work forward (subject to cashflows).

Council decided on a staged approach in terms of the project deliverables, so that the costs could be spread over more than one financial year, with the aim of not impacting on Council’s debt ceiling. The extra budget comes in LTP Year 2 (2022/23) and Year 3 (2023/24).

As we are full on into the construction for the shared clubrooms and indoor training facility, the status of the new changing/toilet facilities near the hockey turf and improved shelter/dugouts for hockey/football (and a number of other scope items) remains the same. The scope items that are budgeted for in the 2023/24 funding year (as this is a staged process) will require further discussion at Council.

As we are full on into the construction for the shared clubrooms and indoor training facility, the status of the proposed softball diamond (and a number of other scope items) remains the same. The scope items that are budgeted for in the 2023/24 funding year (as this is a staged process) will require further discussion at Council.

The cost of operating the Maidstone Community Sports Hub is unknown at this time. The charges for use of the facility will be determined by the Council Controlled Organisation (CCO). The Management Agreement between Council and the CCO will identify the key principles and expectations which will provide guidance to the CCO as they determine the community charges. It is proposed to have a tiered price structure with the CCO charges to sports and community groups being fair and reasonable and at rates below other potential users. We are committed to ensuring access and use of the Maidstone Community Sports Hub by community sports, recreation and leisure groups, with minimal barriers in place.

All Maidstone Park and shared clubroom users will have the opportunity to have a representative on the Operational Advisory Committee to the new Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) entity. The CCO Trustee positions are open to all within the community through a transparent, skill-based appointment process. The CCO is tasked with governing and operating the sports hub and other facilities that sit under the CCO for the benefit of all within the community.

All Maidstone Park and shared clubroom users will have the opportunity to have a representative on the Operational Advisory Committee to the new Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) entity. The CCO Trustee positions are open to all within the community through a transparent, skill-based appointment process. The CCO is tasked with governing and operating the sports hub and other facilities that sit under the CCO for the benefit of all within the community.

The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2023, years ahead of the original timeframe.

If you’re affiliated with one of the clubs who operate at the park, we recommend having a chat with your President or members of the committee. We’ve been working closely with them and they have the information that relates specifically to your club. General questions about the project can be sent through to us at mcshinfo@uhcc.govt.nz.