Sports Facilities Strategic Plan 2021-2031 - DRAFT FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
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DRAFT FOR
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
Sports Facilities
Strategic Plan
2021-2031
Document Info & Acknowledgements
Document version: Draft for stakeholder feedback
Authors: Richard Lindsay, Kevin Collier
Acknowledgements
RSL would like to thank for following people and organisations for their input into developing this plan:
Project Team
Linda Craighead, Robert Hutchinson, Jane Tito
With Thanks To
Local, regional and national stakeholders who have contributed information toward this report.
Disclaimer
Information, data and general assumptions used in the compilation of this report have been obtained
from sources believed to be reliable. RSL Consultancy has used this information in good faith and
makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, concerning the accuracy or
completeness of this information. RSL Consultancy is acting as an independent consultant. In doing
so, the recommendations provided do not necessarily reflect the intentions of the client. Interested
parties should perform their own investigations, analysis and projections on all issues prior to acting in
any way in regard to this project.
2
1. Contents
1. Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 5
3. Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 8
3.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 8
4. Strategic Context ........................................................................................................................... 10
4.1 Background Documents ........................................................................................................ 10
4.2 Sports Facilities Planning Landscape ................................................................................... 13
4.3 Sports Facility Planning Principles ........................................................................................ 13
5. Marlborough Demographic Profile ................................................................................................ 15
6. Sporting Participation Trends ........................................................................................................ 18
7. Marlborough District Sporting Facilities – An Overview ................................................................ 19
7.1 Current Situation ................................................................................................................... 19
7.2 Sports Hubs........................................................................................................................... 21
7.3 Combined Schools Project .................................................................................................... 22
7.4 Waterlea Racecourse ............................................................................................................ 25
8. Marlborough Sporting Codes Identified Needs ............................................................................. 26
8.1 Outdoor Field Sports ............................................................................................................. 26
8.2 Outdoor Hard Courts ............................................................................................................. 30
8.3 Indoor Courts......................................................................................................................... 31
8.4 Other Indoor Sports (with Specialist Requirements) ............................................................. 34
8.5 Aquatic Sports – Indoors ....................................................................................................... 35
8.6 Rowing .................................................................................................................................. 36
8.7 Specialised Surfaces ............................................................................................................. 37
8.8 Motor Sports .......................................................................................................................... 41
8.9 Other Outdoor Sports ............................................................................................................ 42
9. Sports Facility Summary ............................................................................................................... 45
9.1 Sports Hubs........................................................................................................................... 45
9.2 Sports Fields ......................................................................................................................... 45
9.3 Outdoor Hard Courts ............................................................................................................. 46
9.4 Indoor Courts......................................................................................................................... 46
9.5 Indoor Aquatic Facilities ........................................................................................................ 47
9.6 Outdoor Aquatic Spaces ....................................................................................................... 47
9.7 Other Specialist Sports Facilities .......................................................................................... 47
9.8 Other Outdoor Facilities ........................................................................................................ 48
10. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................ 49
10.1 Governance and Leadership ................................................................................................. 49
10.2 Actions................................................................................................................................... 50
11. Appendices................................................................................................................................ 53
11.1 Appendix One: Detailed Sports Facility Requirements for Combined Schools Project ........ 54
3
11.2 Appendix Two: Marlborough Activity Behaviours.................................................................. 56
11.3 Appendix Three: Secondary Data Review – Additional Information ..................................... 56
4
2. Executive Summary
MDC facilitates and supports sport through the provision of a large number of spaces and places for
training and competition. Many of these also have wider public amenity values.
This draft Sports Facilities Plan has been developed to understand the current and future facility
needs and aspirations of sporting codes in Marlborough. The draft plan identifies what changes,
updates or additions could be made to the MDC sports facilities network over the next ten years. This
plan will be used to inform the MDC long term plan 2021-2031.
The identification of priority actions within this plan does not guarantee MDC support and further
investigations will need to be undertaken in many cases to confirm the need and viability.
This plan has highlighted the changing demographic profile of Marlborough. While the population is
showing modest growth, it is ageing and becoming more ethnically diverse. These changes will have
an impact on what sports are preferred and how people participate in them.
Sports participation trends are also changing. There is declining participation among some sports
while others are experiencing growth. There is also a move toward more informal, individualised
sporting activities. Care should be taken when updating existing or developing new facilities to ensure
there is the ability for facilities to be adapted over time to meet the changes in participation.
The Combined Schools Project represents the most significant opportunity for MDC to partner with
other asset owners to provide enhanced facilities to the wider community. This will require priority
being given to ongoing communication between MDC, MoE and the colleges as planning progresses.
There are a range of sporting facility considerations. These can be summarised as:
• Supporting the Investment in Sports Hubs.
• Facilitating increased shared use of existing facilities.
• Creating enhanced public amenity facilities to serve both sporting communities and the wider
public.
• Increase the capacity of floodlit fields for winter sports codes.
• Maximising wider community value from the Combined Schools’ Project.
The following table outlines the recommended actions.
Actions
0 Sports Hubs
Investigate a MDC staff role to provide coordination in the areas of sports hub
governance, management and facility operations.
MDC to facilitate sporting codes move to the Lansdowne Park Sports Hub.
Continue to financially support the operational costs of sports hub in the Marlborough
area.
1 Sports Fields
1.0 • Undertake feasibility study to assess need, location and financial model for additional
floodlit sports field capacity (potentially artificial turf).
5
Actions
1.1 Upgrade facilities at A&P Park
1.2
• Develop change rooms at A&P Park.
• Confirm development of Pavilion either at A&P or elsewhere (Dependent upon
outcome of feasibility study in 1.0).
Work with Marlborough Cricket to progress the Horton Park Master Plan
1.3 • Identify and confirm sport and wider community partners.
1.4 • Develop detailed business case.
1.5 • Implement priorities of Master Plan. (pending outcome of business case)
1.6 Monitor demand for sports fields. Re-allocate fields between codes before developing new
MDC sites.
1.7 Working with the relevant sporting codes, undertake an audit of existing changing facilities
to ensure they are suitable for use (gender appropriate, fit for purpose, accessible).
2 Outdoor Hard Courts
2.1 Investigate the need for covering some of the hard courts at Lansdowne Park for
Marlborough Netball (and other potential users).
2.2 Maximise the value of the identified changing room upgrades at Awarua Park. This could
include:
• Re-surfacing and improved floodlights for hard courts
• Consideration of the site as another Sports Hub for the district, including
supporting wider community use.
2.3 Investigate the installation of additional lighting at the Pollard Park for an additional five
tennis courts or consider a shared use model at Lansdowne hard courts (playing surface
dependent).
2.4 Support Stadium 2000’s need to re-surface 3-on-3 courts
3 Indoor Courts
3.1 Investigate the need for additional indoor court space in Marlborough. Should initial
stakeholder feedback be confirmed then consider the range of options available, including
but not limited to:
• Investigate additional MDC owned indoor courts adjacent to Stadium 2000.
• Assess the ability for other codes to share any covered courts that may be developed
at Lansdowne Park.
• Work with the Combined Schools Project to maximise the wider community value of
any indoor courts that are built. This could include:
• Negotiate community access agreements.
• MDC investment to ensure right sized, fit-for-purpose courts are developed that
can be used by sports groups (and other community groups).
• MDC to invest to increase the total number of courts that are built.
3.2 Facilitate Squash’s continued community access to courts located at current MBC site.
6
Actions
3.3 Undertake a needs assessment to investigate alternative indoor court space for Indoor
Bowls, Badminton and Table Tennis.
4 Indoor Aquatic Facilities
4.1 Should demand warrant, pursue partnership opportunities with existing school pools for
increased community and programming access.
5 Outdoor Aquatic Facilities
5.1 Development of new MDC toilet facilities to consider potential locations that benefit both
the wider public and existing water sport hubs (along with other outdoor sport
participants).
Explore additional use of existing water sport facilities by other water sports and land-
based sports, including:
5.2 • Storage and facilities for Waka ama in Picton / Waikawa.
5.3 • Explore access arrangements for other sports codes to access existing club sites for
storage, change facilities and event coordination.
6 Other Specialist Sports Facilities
6.1 Confirm the lease arrangements for the Hockey Turf at College Park. If another long-term
lease cannot be secured, then consider the Combined Schools Project as a potential
partnership project.
6.2 Factor in renewal costs for the hockey carpet and shock-pad (circa 2028-2030).
6.3 Investigate a lawn bowling facility that could be shared by a number of clubs and potential
other sporting codes and wider community groups.
6.4 Provide support to Marlborough Athletics to:
6.5 • upgrade all-weather long-jump area.
• investigate solutions for an appropriately scaled all-weather training area for a range of
athletic activities.
6.6 Maintain existing levels of service for the cycling track.
6.7 Work with Marlborough Volleyball to provide sand that meets requirements for tournament
play.
7 Other Outdoor Sports Facilities
7.1 Provide additional space for the Blenheim Canine Training Club at A&P Park; or work with
the club to seek an alternative site that can accommodate their identified needs.
7.2 Pending the outcome of the updated Wither Hills Management Plan, explore the upgrade
of road end services to serve the needs of mountain bikes, walkers, hikers, orienteers, and
other outdoor activities.
7.3 Facilitate access arrangements for Marching at the Lansdowne courts and fields.
7
3. Introduction
The Marlborough District Council Sports Facilities Plan has been developed to provide the
Marlborough District Council (MDC) with a framework to aid in the prioritisation of investment and
support in sporting facilities. The Plan aims to understand the current and future needs and
aspirations of sporting codes and what changes, updates or additions need to be made to the MDC
sports facilities network.
This plan acknowledges the importance of partnerships between MDC and other agencies. The vast
majority of the sporting sector in Marlborough relies on a partnership approach with MDC to ensure
grounds and facilities are available to deliver sport to the community. There are currently opportunities
for further partnerships in the community, particularly with the Combined Schools Project.
This plan will assist in outlining the needs of the sporting codes and a recommended approach by the
MDC and will assist MDC to inform the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.
3.1 Scope
The MDC Sports Facilities Plan is focussed on sporting activities that occur both indoors and outdoors
and both on land and water. The MDC Outdoor Sports Facility Plan (2010) addressed 15 sports that
are predominantly participated in outdoor activities. The wider scope of this current plan allows the
MDC to understand the more diverse participation trends within the district and plan accordingly
across a wider range of facilities and activities.
Some activities are not included in this plan as development plans and priorities are covered off
elsewhere. This includes broader recreation activities such as walking and non-sport-based cycling
(active transport0.
This plan is not designed to capture all operational issues identified by codes, rather it provides an
outline of the significant facility-based issues that MDC should consider addressing over time.
Operational issues raised by codes have been fed back to the MDC outside of this report.
3.2 Methodology
The plan has followed normal planning processes, including
• An agreement of scope.
• A review of existing strategies, plans and documents that relate to this plan.
• Identification of the current network of facilities.
• An online survey of identified sports stakeholders was conducted in April 2020. Approximately
100 groups were asked for their feedback on the current state of their activity and any facility
issues or plans they had. 55 groups responded, which indicates a satisfactory response rate.
Key sport facility user groups that did not respond were followed up individually and their
feedback was also considered.
• Analysis of themes arising from the online survey was conducted to help shape additional
engagement.
• Workshops with stakeholders were held to further explore the key emerging themes.
• Further follow up for additional information and clarification was also sought from some
survey respondents.
• Drafting the plan, seeking feedback from MDC officers and producing a final version for
community input.
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Note: This Plan was developed during the response to the Covid-19 global pandemic. This impacted
on the sequencing of information gathering and analysis. However, this was managed through the re-
scheduling of project tasks. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on participation numbers for some
sporting codes. It is too early to predict longer term impacts. However, previous events in New
Zealand, such as the Canterbury earthquake sequence, show that a full recovery can occur in a
relatively short period of time.
9
4. Strategic Context
The following section provides background information on previous planning in Marlborough that may
have an impact on the MDC Sports Facilities Plan. This section also outlines planning principles that
assist in prioritising any recommendations on the future shape of the network of sports facilities.
4.1 Background Documents
A number of previous documents were reviewed in the development of this plan. Documents
reviewed included:
• Marlborough District Physical Activity Strategy (2008)
• Marlborough District Council Outdoor Sports Facilities Plan (2010)
• Marlborough District Council Indoor [Cricket} Facility Preliminary Review (2014)
• Feasibility Report, Endeavour Park Pavilion, Endeavour Park, Picton Stage Two Development
(Draft 2016)
• Marlborough District Council Sportsville Policy (2016)
• MDC Significance and Engagement Policy (2018)
• Blenheim Urban Area 2018 – Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment
(2018)
• Horton Park Preliminary Master Plan (2018)
• Marlborough District Walking and Cycling Strategy 2019-29
• Marlborough Boys and Marlborough Girls Colleges - New Schools Development Report Sport
and Recreation Facilities (July 2019)
• Sport Tasman report on impact of Covid-19 on Sport and Recreation Organisations (2020)
• Top of the South Island Spaces and Places Plan (Sept 2020)
A summary review of all of these documents can be found in Appendix Three. Where appropriate this
information has been considered in the development of this current plan.
MDC has previously developed an Outdoor Sports Facilities Plan (2010) and a supplementary review
on indoor facility provision (with a clear focus on cricket). MDC has also taken part in the development
of a Top of the South Spaces and Places Strategy in conjunction with Sport New Zealand. These
three documents are summarised below.
4.1.1 Marlborough District Council Outdoor Sports Facilities Plan
(2010)
Marlborough District Council developed an Outdoor Sports Facilities Plan in 2010. This plan was
developed to articulate how public space would be distributed for use by Marlborough’s sport and
recreation community. The 2010 Plan had a ten-year timeframe and it is timely this is reviewed and
updated in this current project.
The 2010 plan included a narrower range of sports than this plan 1. A key finding of the review of the
2010 Plan is that it has provided the MDC with a framework for decision making with regard to
outdoor sporting facility provision. This has seen a significant number of the 2010 Plan
recommendations being implemented over the last ten years. Key projects to have been completed or
commenced during this time include:
• An upgrade of Lansdowne park, in particular.
o the relocation of netball from Horton Park and the development of 15 new netball
courts.
o the development of a skin softball diamond and other grass diamonds.
1
The 2010 Plan included Athletics, Cricket, Cycling (BMX, MTB, Road, Track), Equestrian, Football, Harriers, Hockey,
Motocross, Multisport, Netball, Orienteering, Rugby Union, Softball, Tennis & Touch.
10o Construction underway for a multi-use sports hub facility.
• Upgrade of cricket nets at Horton Park.
• Master Planning work completed on potential wider upgrade of Horton Park for cricket.
• The development of a Sportsville (code-sharing) Policy in 2016.
• Development of a bike skills area at Oliver Park.
• Feasibility study completed on potential facility development at A&P Park.
• Re-location of equestrian activities to Bothams Bend.
Some recommendations in the 2010 Plan have not commenced or have been superseded by other
developments. However generally speaking, the 2010 Plan has enabled a wide range of sports to
ensure the facilities they use are fit for purpose and future proofed.
Bothams Bend Equestrian Centre
4.1.2 Marlborough District Council Indoor [Cricket} Facility
Preliminary Review April 2014
Marlborough District Council (MDC) was approached by the Marlborough Cricket Association (MCA)
requesting assistance with the development of upgraded facilities including an indoor training facility
at their current location, Horton Park. Marlborough District Council then engaged a Consultancy firm
to investigate the current demand for an indoor facility.
The report found that in 2014:
• There was no clear demand to develop an indoor cricket centre at that time.
• The demand for improved cricket outdoor practice facilities was warranted and required.
• Minor improvements to the current netball courts at Horton park was desirable, particularly in
relation to remediation of minor water retention issues.
• There was no obvious reason to alter or amend the Marlborough Outdoor Sports Facilities
Plan (MOSFP) at that time. However, the relocation of netball to Lansdowne Park would have
multisport and event hosting potential.
11Lansdowne Park netball courts, Blenheim (pre-construction of hub building)
4.1.3 Top of the South Island Spaces and Places Strategy (2020)
In 2018 Sport New Zealand (Sport NZ) began work with Sport Tasman and local authorities in the
“Top of the South” area to develop a regional spaces and places strategy. This is the first “regional”
Spaces and Places Strategy for the Top of the South and is part of a wider initiative supported by
Sport NZ to have 14 regional strategies across Aotearoa. The final strategy was completed in
September 2020.
The Strategy outlines its purpose as providing “a high-level strategic overview of the current and
projected facility needs; it does not address local facility needs directly. It identifies the future priorities
for regional and sub-regional facilities and provides a robust method to review and advise on priorities
from a regional perspective using a principle led approach with assessment criteria. 2”
Recommendations from the Top of the South Spaces and Places Strategy are considered and (where
appropriate) factored into the MDC Sports Facility Plan.
2
Final Draft Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy for the Top of the South Island – Global Leisure Group
124.2 Sports Facilities Planning Landscape
This plan has been developed to understand the current and future supply and demand of sporting
facilities in Marlborough. It provides local context to the hierarchy of sports facility planning occurring
regionally and nationally as outlined in diagram 4.2 below.
Diagram 4.2 Sports Facility Planning Hierarchy
National context and leadership is provided through Sport NZ’s Sporting Facilities Framework.
National sporting organisations also outline their required network of facilities. An assessment of
regionally significant facilities is provided in the Top of the South Island Spaces and Places Strategy.
The MDC Sports Facility Plan references these national and regional plans to ensure alignment and
local context.
4.3 Sports Facility Planning Principles
Key principles have been developed for the MDC Sports Facilities Plan. These principles can be
drawn on when sporting needs are being assessed and prioritised to allow recommendations to be
made regarding the future network of facilities.
The key principles are taken from the Sport NZ Sporting Facilities Framework and are:
Accessibility
Facilities, spaces and places are available and can be accessed by all of those who need to access
them to participate in sport.
Sustainability
Facilities are sustainable, from both environmental and financial standpoints.
13Future Proofed
Facilities can adapt over time to meet needs that inevitably change over time.
Meeting an Identified Need
Facilities meet an evidenced, identified need within the Marlborough sporting community.
Partnering and collaboration
Where practical, MDC should provide leadership (in partnership with other organisations) when
establishing and operating sporting facilities. This recognises the need for asset owners to work
together to ensure an efficient and effective sports facility network is created.
Integration
Facilities should be developed to maximise usage of assets. The days of single sport assets, that are
used for a few hours a week during one season are numbered. Where possible facilities should be
shared by multiple codes to increase occupancy and enhance the ability to be sustainable.
The Top of the South Regional Spaces and Places Strategy (2020) also aligns to these principles and
also incorporates some additional areas of consideration, namely; reflecting the community, ensuring
activation of spaces and equally importantly social engagement among participants, officials and
supporters. These principles have also been factored into this plan.
145. Marlborough Demographic Profile
The following section identifies the current and predicted future population characteristics of the
Marlborough district and the potential impact this has on the sports facility network.
5.1.1 A growing population
Marlborough has had an increase in population by approximately 9% between the 2013 and 2018
Census. Graph 5.1 below shows the increase from 43,416 in 2013 to 47,340 in 2018. This population
increase is in line with medium to high projections rates produced by Statistics NZ and is driven
primarily through net migration into the region.
Graph 5.1 Marlborough Population 2006 – 2013 - 2018
MARLBOROUGH POPULATION
48,000
47,000
46,000
45,000
44,000
43,000
42,000
41,000
40,000
Population
2006 2013 2018
The forecast population projections for Marlborough indicate some population growth over the next 20
years. The 2020 population estimates from Statistic New Zealand indicate the Marlborough population
is still growing at a rate of over 1% per year and is now 50,200 (estimate as at June 30, 2020) 3.
Important factors to consider are the make-up of the population (age and ethnicity in particular).
5.1.2 An ageing population
Marlborough’s population is ageing. The Marlborough population is expected to have a significantly
larger number of residents aged 65 years and older with other age groups experiencing declines in
population levels. This is similar to many parts of New Zealand (and the Western world).
Graph 5.2 highlights the population projections by age groups.
Graph 5.2 Population projections by age, 2013-2043
3
www.stats.govt.nz Estimated resident population at 30 June 2020
15POPULATION PROJECTIONS BY AGE GROUP 2013 - 2043
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
2013 2018 2023 2028 2033 2038 2043
0-14 years 65 years and over 15-39 years 40-64 years
5.1.3 A more diverse community
The comparison pie graphs below highlight the increasing ethnic diversity of the Marlborough district.
The Maori population is forecast to increase from 5,300 (11% of the total population) in 2018 to 9020
(16%) by 2033. Increases in other ethnic groups are also forecast to occur with the exception of NZ
Europeans who while still making up approximately 40,700 of the population, will be a smaller
percentage (84% in 2018 to 72% in 2033)
Marlborough Population by Marlborough Population by
Ethnicity (2018) Ethnicity (2033)
European Maori Asian Pacific European Maori Asian Pacific
165.1.4 Geographic Spread
The majority of Marlborough residents live in Blenheim (60%) 4. There are other smaller urban areas
at Renwick, Picton, Havelock, Rai Valley and Seddon. This relative centralisation of the population in
a somewhat large district leads to many of the sporting facilities being developed in or around
Blenheim.
5.1.5 Demographic Conclusions
Marlborough has an increasingly ageing population while at the same time becoming more ethnically
diverse. This requires sporting groups to plan for change and adapt their offering accordingly.
As a population ages, sporting participation preferences are likely to change. Generally speaking,
older residents do not participate in as many team sports that require higher levels of moderate to
vigorous physical activity. Another significant change is many older adults have the ability to recreate
during week days, which is often a period of time where sporting facilities are underutilised.
The concentration of population in and around Blenheim lends itself to being the regional hub for the
majority of sporting codes (except where specific environmental factors are elsewhere such as the
Marlborough Sounds for sailing).
The increasingly ethnic diverse profile of Marlborough also brings opportunities for residents to
participate in a more diverse range of activities. This diversity may place additional pressure on MDC
to provide spaces for a wider range of activities as they emerge.
4
Census 2013 statistics utilising the Blenheim Central, Springlands, Mayfield, Whitney, Redwoodtown and Witherlea areas.
176. Sporting Participation Trends
Sport NZ undertakes comprehensive research into the sport and recreation participation behaviours
of New Zealanders. Approximately 94% of young people and 72% of adults participate in some form
of sport or active recreation in any given seven-day period 5.
On average young people spend 11 hours per week participating in active recreation and sport
activities. Participation is higher among boys than girls. Adults spend on average 5.2 hours per week
participating in active recreation and sport activities.
Participation can vary with people’s socio-economic position (where deprivation is high participation is
lower) and where they live (rural participation is lower than urban participation).
The motivations for participation change with age as the primary reason for young people is for fun
(76%) while for adults it is for physical wellbeing (72%).
A recent report commissioned by Sport NZ highlights six key factors driving sports participation in
New Zealand 6:
1. The offering of sport – How commercialisation, globalisation and sport branding are creating
powerful offerings for consumers, sometimes supporting existing sports, and often challenging
them with attractive new alternatives.
2. Individualisation - How technology and personal choices are creating individualised sports activity,
as likely to be supported by the (internet) ‘cloud’ as it is by clubs and coaches. Individual sports
are thriving.
3. Connection - Countering individualisation is how people strive for community and belonging
through sport, increasingly enabled by technology, and challenged by an increasing diversity of
cultures and sports offerings.
4. Lifestyle and health - As we live through the ‘age of chronic disease’ the value of sport and activity
is highlighted. Organised sport and technology can help but medical and pharmaceutical
interventions are emerging that enable a preferred body image without physical activity.
5. The built environment - Most of us live in cities. Are we modifying our city infrastructure and
facilities to cater for tomorrow’s diverse sporting needs?
6. The structure of sport - The trends above challenge the structure and leadership of sport in New
Zealand. Do we have the right capacity, workforce and partnerships to respond?
There is an overall decline in membership of some of the traditional sporting codes as lifestyles have
changed. At the same time some codes are experiencing growth. Basketball is set to become the
most popular sport among young people nationwide, surpassing the traditional favourites of Rugby
and Netball. Since the year 2000 secondary school Basketball and Football numbers have increased
by 52% and 20% respectively. During the same time period secondary school Netball and Rugby
have seen a reduction of approximately 9% and 20% respectively.
There has been a move toward more individualised sport and active recreation pursuits that can be
undertaken at times suitable to the participant. That said, there is still a critical place in communities
for team sports and the benefits (socialisation, teamwork) that can be gained from this form of
participation.
These participation trends should be closely monitored within the Marlborough context. MDC should
consider these sporting trends as future sporting facility support is allocated.
5
Sport NZ (2019) Active New Zealand: Key Findings 2018 Survey Data
6
Sport NZ (2015) Future of Sport in New Zealand: A report by Synergia for Sport New Zealand (2015)
187. Marlborough District Sporting Facilities – An Overview
7.1 Current Situation
The Marlborough district has a significant range of sporting facilities for an area with relatively low
population. This can be partly justified by the distance from other main centres (Nelson and
Christchurch). Nelson is the closest urban area and many Marlborough based sports codes
participate in “Top of the South” competitions.
Stadium 2000 is the regional facility for both indoor court and aquatic sports. This facility, owned by
MDC and operated by a Trust, plays a critical role in the provision of space for a wide range of sports,
either on a regular basis for training and competitions but also as an event venue for larger one-off
activities for groups that usually use smaller, community facilities.
Although there are some newer sporting facilities in the district, the network of sporting facilities is
generally ageing. MDC has looked at increased investment in the network recently, including the
development of the Endeavour Sports Hub and the new hard courts and sports hub at Lansdowne
Park.
MDC undertakes an annual survey of residents that asks for feedback on satisfaction levels of
community facilities, of which parks and reserves, sports grounds and swimming pools are identified
categories. On average residents indicate a consistent, high level of satisfaction for these areas of
MDC provision 7.
The major sports facilities in the Marlborough District are identified below in table 7.1 8.
7
MDC Resident Survey results supplied for 2007-2013 & 2018
8
A comprehensive inventory of all sporting facilities in Marlborough can be found via the Sport New Zealand Inventory Tool.
The tool aims to capture details of all facilities in the Marlborough district and has been developed to assist local authorities and
others in future facility planning.
19Table 7.1 Marlborough DC Sports Facilities
Facility Main Sports Group Users Comments
Older pavilion and changing rooms, utilised for a wide
A&P Park A&P Association, Canine Club, football
range of community events.
Athletics, cycling (track), football, smallbore Full size field within cycle track. Artificial surface for
Athletic Park
shooting long jump training.
Awarua Park Rugby, tennis A commitment to upgrade changing rooms for rugby.
Churchward Park Riding for the Disabled, kart-sport
Water-based artificial turf; roller sports track and
College Park Hockey, roller sports, rugby, cricket
surface, sports fields.
Picton’s major sports hub facility, located adjacent to
Endeavour Park Rugby, football, cricket, netball, tennis
Queen Charlotte College.
Havelock Domain Rugby, tennis, netball Sports pavilion on site.
Netball moved from Horton Park to Lansdowne Park in
Horton Park Cricket
2016. Horton Pavilion hired to other user groups.
Lansdowne Park Rugby, softball, touch, netball, beach volleyball Location of new sports hub facility under development.
Marlborough Equestrian
Equestrian sports Located at Botham’s Bend.
Centre
Oliver Park Football, cricket, rugby league Standard sports park.
Centrally located park, close to Waterlea Racecourse
Pollard Park Croquet, golf, tennis and Combined Schools site. All are exclusive lease
areas.
Available capacity to cater for any growth in sports field
Rewi Murray Polo Park Polo in summer
sports.
Renwick Domain Lawn bowls, tennis, rugby, football, cricket The events centre is located at the Domain.
Community swimming pool also located at Domain
however no formal swimming club.
Seddon Domain Tennis, netball, rugby , cricket
Memorial Hall also used for indoor activities. Adjacent
to Awatere Bowling Club.
Aquatic sports (swimming, water polo, Marlborough’s premier aquatic and indoor court facility,
underwater hockey) located in central Blenheim.
Indoor court sports (basketball, volleyball,
Stadium 2000
netball, futsal) A range of other sporting user groups hire venue for
squash larger events and tournaments. Also serves as the
administration base for several codes.
Casual tennis, pony club Traditional domain. Pony club seeking an arena within
Ward Domain
the grounds.
Whitehead Park Lawn bowls, croquet Located adjacent to Rewi Murray Park.
20There are also a large number of standalone facilities servicing single sports, such as golf, lawn
bowls, tennis and others. Further detail can be found in section 8.0 that outlines various sporting code
needs.
7.2 Sports Hubs
Marlborough District Council has placed significant emphasis through the investment in several high-
profile multi-code, sport hub facilities (also known as Sportvilles). This support is confirmed through
the MDC Sportsville Policy.
7.2.1 MDC Sportsville Policy
Marlborough District Council adopted the Sportsville Policy in 2016 to recognise the increasing
importance of shared use facilities and the investment involved.
The Sportsville Policy identified seven core principles of Sportsville projects:
• Good governance
• Clarity of purpose
• Formal amalgamations are not always necessary
• Clustering of resources
• Staged progression
• Council support
• Club identity and development
The Council sees its roles in achieving success in these models as:
• Encouraging sports clubs and associations to develop Sportsville models.
• Supporting Sportsville projects through capital, financial and human resources.
• Prioritising requests for Council involvement in facilitating and supporting the development of
Sportsville models.
Identification of Sportsville opportunities will be identified (amongst others) through projects identified
in Strategies and Plans (such as this one).
7.2.2 MDC Sports Hubs
Existing MDC sports hubs are located in the following areas:
• Endeavour Park, Picton.
• Renwick Domain, Renwick.
• Awatere Hub, Seddon Domain.
The governance and operational model of these sports hubs is different from single purpose sports
codes who hire or lease facilities for participation. Sports hubs require a governance structure, often
independent of a council, to oversee the significant assets the sports hub is responsible for and to
ensure the facilities are operated effectively. This additional complexity of a shared use facility can
become a challenge for what are usually voluntary governance groups.
Two other sports hubs are either in concept stage or under development. The Lansdowne Hub is
under construction and due to open in 2021. This is seen as the largest sports hub facility developed
by MDC and will provide much needed changing rooms, administration and social spaces at
Lansdowne Park. Several sports including Rugby, Netball, Touch, Volleyball and Softball have
indicated they will utilise the hub in varying capacities. This hub may be further enhanced with the
concept of the conversion of the existing rugby administration building into a high-performance
training centre, incorporating onsite strength and conditioning spaces and equipment, alongside other
specialist services such as sports medicine, physiotherapy and nutrition.
21Endeavour Park Sports Hub, Picton
The A&P Pavilion upgrade is also proposed. This would see a new pavilion built on the park to
provide public toilets, changing rooms, administration, and social spaces for existing user groups
including the A&P Association and Marlborough Football. The pavilion would also be available for
other community and sporting groups to hire.
7.3 Combined Schools Project
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced the development of a shared campus for
Marlborough Girls College (MGC) and Marlborough Boys College (MBC). The proposed site is where
the existing Marlborough Girls College and Bohally Intermediate are located, with Bohally being re-
located on the existing MBC site.
In 2017 Sport New Zealand supported discussions to look for collaborative sports opportunities
between the colleges and the wider community 9. This report was developed based on a “Greenfields”
site. The report was refreshed in 2019, reflecting the decision to use the McLauchlan St site.
The review considered 2019 school rolls for both colleges as well as potential use of community
facilities by the schools’ community and use of school facilities by the community.
The report made the following recommendations:
• A co-located college should co-locate sport and recreation in Blenheim, considering shared
use opportunities with the wider community.
• Investment discussions with the MoE should take place on the proportion of school and
community sharing and investment.
• A steering group related to this purpose continue beyond the MoE briefing process.
9
Geoff Canham Consulting (2019) Marlborough Boys and Marlborough Girls Colleges – New Schools Development Report
Sport and Recreation Facilities
22• Overall, the key recommendation was the need for greater consideration in the form of a
recommended future assessment of the Co-Located Colleges’ campus components, assets
capacity and their proposed complementary nature to Stadium 2000, in both built and
programme provision. This will assist specific design and the overall Business Case for the
Co-Located Colleges and community investment.
The report also highlighted several recent case studies where Councils and the Education Sector
have worked collaboratively and achieved enhanced outcomes for both the school community and the
wider community.
The development of the Combined Schools’ Master Plan is commencing in early 2021. Any
discussions, negotiations and agreements need to occur in the short term to take advantage of this
mutual opportunity.
7.3.1 Identified Needs
The 2019 report identified the sporting facility requirements for the combined schools. Details of these
requirements can be found in appendix one. These needs have been further confirmed during the
development of the MDC Sporting Facilities Plan. A summary of the combined schools ‘requirements
alongside identified community sport feedback and an indicative level of synergy on these types of
facilities is outlined below in table 7.3:
Table 7.3 Combined Schools’ - Preliminary Assessment of Community Opportunities
Level of
Combined Schools’ Wider Community Sport Synergy
Facility Type
Requirements Needs Identified
(Low – Medium – High)
Indoor Courts Four indoor courts (sprung floor or Stadium 2000 at capacity during
similar) peak times. Community sport
seeking additional court space.
High
Dividable for various groups
Climbing Wall Indoor Climbing wall to be used No climbing wall within community
for Outdoor Education and (or Nelson area) for Tramping
Physical Education classes Club to offer training in climbing
techniques. High
Sports Fields 1 – 3 Artificial sports turf field Additional quality floodlit training
venues for winter codes. Demand
6 natural grass fields pressures particularly high for
football. High
Hockey Turf 2 Artificial hockey turfs Existing single turf under demand
pressure. Surface renewed in
2018. No guarantee of long-term
lease of space. High
Athletics Track+ Off-site, artificial track Athletics seek some upgrades to
Athletic Park (long jump run up
area). Medium
Squash Courts+ Existing courts at MBC are owned Ongoing Community access of
by the community existing courts is sought
Medium
23Level of
Combined Schools’ Wider Community Sport Synergy
Facility Type
Requirements Needs Identified
(Low – Medium – High)
Outdoor Hard 8 courts (4 per school) for P.E. Currently use existing MGC courts
Courts and relevant sports as overflow for larger tennis
tournaments. 15 Netball courts at
Lansdowne. Low
Beach Volleyball+ Schools to use Lansdowne park Lansdowne Park courts have
Low
site capacity for in-school time use.
Swimming Pool Provide a school-based pool Stadium 2000 currently meeting
the needs of aquatic sporting
community. No significant demand
pressures identified. Low
A fitness suite Two fitness suites, specific to No identified need from wider
needs. community. Potentially a more Low
challenging partnership.
Active Recreation Nature and play based design Out of scope for MDC Sports
Spaces incorporated into new campus Facilities Plan.
-
Movement space To be further investigated Out of scope for MDC Sports
Facilities Plan, however
opportunity exists to explore
community share model
-
+
Off Combined campus provision
Athletic Park, Blenheim
247.4 Waterlea Racecourse
The Waterlea racecourse is located in close proximity to both the Combined Schools site and
Lansdowne Park. The Waterlea racecourse has been the home of horse racing for over 100 years.
The racecourse is a significant community facility, covering approximately 31 hectares of land.
Recent developments have seen the transfer of the ownership of the Racecourse to the Waterlea
Park Charitable Trust 2020.
At this point of time it is unknown what future uses are proposed for Waterlea Park. However recent
media reports 10 suggest the Trust has been given ownership of the Park to ensure ongoing
community use of the space. Future use could see a wider sporting precinct being developed in the
area for a wide range of user groups, pending approval of the Trust and identification of needs.
10
Wednesday Sun (12/08/20) Waterlea gifted to Trust
258. Marlborough Sporting Codes Identified Needs
During the development of this plan, sporting codes were asked to complete an online survey
outlining the current status of their sport, their facility needs and any future plans they have for their
code. Feedback indicates approximately 1/3 of groups reported an undersupply of space for their
sport to train and / or participate. The facility related issues that were most prevalent were:
• Facilities not meeting modern specifications.
• Ageing facilities in need of upgrades.
• Lack of training lights and change rooms / toilet / storage amenities.
• More space required for their sporting activity.
• Uncertainty around the role the Combined Schools project may play in the future provision of
community sporting facilities.
The following section provides a summary of each sport, by facility type. Local membership levels are
based on feedback from the sporting codes. National trends are based on a compilation of Sport NZ
data sets and the NZ Secondary School Sports Association annual participation data. Facility issues
are those identified by the sporting codes.
8.1 Outdoor Field Sports
8.1.1Cricket
Marlborough Cricket reports a total membership of 754 across six registered clubs and local schools.
Membership is anticipated to increase based on the recent growth they have experienced in female
participants.
Cricket relies on good weather conditions to help with wicket block and outfield management and
Marlborough is ideally placed in this regard compared to many other regions.
Horton Park is the main venue used for cricket, alongside Oliver Park which also has multiple grass
cricket blocks. Horton Park currently has three wicket blocks and all premier senior cricket games are
played at this ground.
Facilities Used • Horton Park (main
venue)
• Oliver Park
• Renwick Domain
• Endeavour Park
• Simcox Stadium
Local membership National Trend (if
Increasing Decreasing
trend (if known) known)
Facility Issues • There is a reported current shortfall of training nets.
• Change rooms in Horton Park are not fit-for-purpose.
• Vehicular access to Horton Park Pavilion is challenging and limited.
• Indoor training venue is privately owned and space is limited for cricket
training.
There are sufficient fields for cricket in Marlborough. There may be some emerging pressure for junior
playing areas, however partnerships with existing school venues with artificial surfaces should be
explored before there is any investment in additional infrastructure. Challenges revolve around
26practise venues, particularly access to indoor spaces. There is no publicly accessible indoor training
venue for cricket. There is a limited supply of quality, outdoor cricket nets.
Marlborough Cricket has also identified the need to upgrade their aging pavilion facility at Horton
Park. A Master Plan for Horton Park has been developed (in 2018) outlining the spatial requirements
to meet Cricket’s needs. The Preliminary Master Plan identified the spatial requirements for:
• A new pavilion,
• An indoor training area,
• New outdoor training nets,
• A reconfiguration of parking and access.
The Marlborough District Council Indoor [Cricket} Facility Preliminary Review developed in 2014
identified there “was no clear demand to develop an indoor cricket centre at that time. 11”
Any new or upgraded pavilion or indoor training facility would require an element of shared use with
other community groups to ensure sustainability.
Marlborough Cricket has indicated a willingness to undertake significant fundraising to support the
development of a new centralised cricket pavilion at Horton Park, including the addition of indoor
training functionality.
Horton Park, Blenheim
8.1.2 Football
Marlborough Football reports a total membership of approximately 2,000 across eight clubs. Football
has experienced growth in participation over a long period of time and recently this has in particular
been in the areas of young people and women.
While predominantly a winter sport, football also offers summer twilight leagues, therefore requiring
year-round provision of fields.
11
PRI Consultants (2014) Marlborough District Council Indoor [Cricket} Facility Preliminary Review
27There are field dimension sizes for various age groups that also need to be considered when
allocating space for football. Recommended pitch sizes vary from 30 metre * 20 metre for games
involving children under the age of nine, through to 70m x 50m for grades involving 11- and 12-year
olds. Senior dimensions are approximately 90-100m X 60 – 80m, with some variation allowed.
Facilities Used • A&P Park Football Is played across several parks in
• Athletic Park Marlborough.
• Endeavour Park
• Oliver Park The majority of games are played at A&P Park,
• Renwick Park Oliver Park and Athletic Park. Other fields are
• Lansdowne Park used occasionally for home games (e.g.
(special events) Endeavour Park, Renwick Park) or higher-level
fixtures (e.g. Lansdowne Park)
Local membership National Trend (if
Increasing Increasing
trend (if known) known)
Facility Issues • Football has limited fields that have lights that allow for evening training.
Some teams cannot train due to undersupply.
• Youth teams are currently playing on fields too large for their grade (and
ability).
• Football administration facilities are not fit for purpose.
In 2019 MDC commissioned a feasibility report on the future of the A&P Pavilion. The report identified
the existing pavilion is no longer fit for purpose and proposed the development of a new purpose-built
community hub in the vicinity of the recently demolished grandstand.
A & P Park, Blenheim (pre demolition of grandstand)
288.1.3 Rugby Union
Marlborough Rugby is overseen by the Tasman Rugby Union (TRU) with support from the
Marlborough Rugby Sub-Union (MRSU). Membership in Marlborough is reported at approximately
1,440 players, with 67% of members participating in junior and secondary school grades. TRU believe
in the importance of both strong professional and community games.
There are six clubs in the Marlborough district. There are a number of cross-over games between the
MRSU teams and teams from Nelson Bays.
Facilities Used • Lansdowne Park Lansdowne Park is the first-class venue, used
• Awarua Park for National Provincial Championship games.
• Endeavour Park Club games are dispersed around the various
• Renwick Domain venues.
• Seddon Domain
Local membership National Trend (if
Decreasing Decreasing
trend (if known) known)
Facility Issues • Playing surface at Lansdowne No. 1 (scheduled upgrade in Dec 2020).
• Variable ground conditions across the network.
• Some training field flood lighting issues reported.
• Hub facility will address toilet access at Lansdowne.
• Change room upgrades at Awarua Domain (scheduled).
The new Hub facility being developed at Lansdowne Park will be available for Rugby to utilise for
training, administration and social gatherings. The TRU has indicated an interest in utilising the Hub
facility for their Marlborough based sports administration needs and corporate hosting. The TRU sees
advantages in additional spectator seating at the Hub end of Lansdowne park, to allow for corporate
hosting at higher level games.
The TRU is investigating an upgrade to the Rai Valley School grounds to allow high performance
squads to train at the grounds; effectively being the mid-point between Blenheim and Nelson. This
would not be seen as an optimal addition to the network of community sports fields given the travel
distance required and that there are enough fields to meet current and projected demand in
Marlborough.
The need for increased quality of floodlighting is a relatively common theme across sports fields. This
can only occur if the capacity of the turf at the field to be floodlit is at a level that allows increased use.
8.1.4 Touch
Marlborough Touch facilitates touch participation. There are approximately 1,700 people in
Marlborough who play touch. Marlborough Touch want to get more high school age players
participating regularly. Touch New Zealand is also looking to promote more social participation at a
family/whanau level. Touch operates a centralised, module-based competition.
29Facilities Used • Lansdowne Park
Local membership National Trend (if
Increasing Stable
trend (if known) known)
Facility Issues • There is an undersupply of fields for touch.
• Field dimensions do not meet Touch NZ specifications
• The No 1 Rugby field and the netball courts at Lansdowne Park divide
the touch fields into two areas making it difficult to administer games.
• Roles and responsibilities for the cleaning of amenity blocks needs to
be confirmed.
8.1.5 Rugby League
Tasman Rugby League is responsible for the running of the game across Marlborough and Nelson /
Tasman and responded to requests for information. There is no adult competition within Marlborough.
However, there is an attempt to resurrect a rugby league competition in Tasman that could include
teams from Marlborough, if there was interest. There are some junior teams that play locally. The
regional body, Tasman Rugby League, report there are sufficient facilities to meet demand.
Given the number of participants is small and the generic requirements of the code (playing field,
change rooms etc) their needs can be met from the existing network of grounds. Oliver Park has a
field available for teams, when the need arises. Should demand significantly increase there may be a
case to consider re-allocation of existing sports fields.
8.2 Outdoor Hard Courts
8.2.2 Netball
Marlborough Netball runs a centralised model of competition. All grades, except for Premiers, are held
at the recently developed Lansdowne Park courts. Premier netball is played at Stadium 2000. There
were 865 players registered this year, which is lower than would normally be registered. Lower
numbers were recorded due to Covid-19.
Facilities Used • Lansdowne Park
• Stadium 2000
• Endeavour Park
Local membership National Trend (if
Increasing Stable
trend (if known) known)
Facility Issues • Plans to cover 3 or 4 courts.
• Limited availability of indoor courts.
• Key user of new Sports Hub, including change areas.
Netball is looking to capitalise on the opportunities that the new Sports Hub facility at Lansdowne Park
will bring.
Marlborough Netball wants to cover some of the netball courts. Should these courts be covered it
would reduce some demand pressures at Stadium 2000, however care would need to be taken to
ensure the playing surface and surrounds at Lansdowne can be used by multiple codes to maximise
usage and enhance sustainability. The next logical step for this would be to undertake a feasibility
study to ascertain actual demand and needs from Netball and other user groups and how these can
be best met.
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