Ashburton Courier: August 20, 2020

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Ashburton Courier, August 20, 2020
33
Geraldine’s turf project ‘shovel­ready’
Geraldine’sDomain
redevelopment project, which
includes installationofamultipurpose
all­weather turf, is
shovel ready and actively
seeking funding, says
Geraldine CombinedSports
Association (GCS)Chairman,
Aaron McCullough.
Mr McCulloughsaysit’s been
nearly four yearssincethe GCS
board first saw an opportunity
to contribute to aregion­wide
review of sport and recreation
facilities, which then morphed
into aGeraldine­specific
projecttoreview and identify
keysporting and recreational
needs to take Geraldine
successfully into the future.
Amulti­purpose all­weather
turf and acommunity hubwere
the two main infrastructure
recommendations that came
from the subsequent report,
which wasproduced by Global
Leisure Group.
“The turf,storage facilities,
cricketnets, new path, blade
signs, lighting and car park
upgradewerethe obvious first
choices to progress which will
create acentral location to play
sport, meet newpeople easily,
and engage in ourcommunity,’’
Mr McCullough said.
‘‘Geraldine Hockey Club,
which hasseen fast growth in
recent years, doesn’t have any
facilities inGeraldine so
players of all ages currently
An artist’s impression of the turf project.
must travel out of town for
practicesand games. Thelack
of an all­weathersurface
impacts on other sporting codes
like netball and tennis as well.”
GCS co­board member and
Geraldine.nz co­ordinator,
JaneneAdams, said that at
times the projecthad felt like a
long road.
‘‘But there has been agreat
bunch of people who have
contributed their time and
skills to workconsistently on all
aspects of this projectandit
feels great to finally get there.”
She said many people had put
in ahugeeffort and the project
had the support of the Timaru
District Council, Sport
Canterbury andthe small group
of localdonors who sponsored
theinitial feasibility report.
Community meetings,
consultations, business
sponsorship to commission a
professionalfeasibility study,
more consultation, meetings
and finally aconcept plan,
designand resource consent
are just some of the steps and
actions GCS has completed
over this period.
The turf will be overlaid on
the existing courts located in
the Geraldine Domain and
complemented by lighting and a
digital booking system, as well
as roll­on roll­off equipmentto
protectthe high tech surface,
which is suitablefor arange of
sporting users, who have all
contributed to the process thus
far.
Mr McCulloughsaid sporting
groups had collaborated and
key stakeholders signed a
memorandum of
understanding.
The next step for theGCS is to
seek fundingtocomplete the
project, estimatedtocost$1.15
million.
“The project will be staged so
we can ensure development
starts ASAP. We are gratefulto
ourbusiness sponsors who
donated the surplusfrom the
feasibility studyprocess and to
theThomas HobsonTrust who
supported us generously in
2019. Thesecontributions have
given us agood base fromwhich
to seek larger funding support.”
An application is being
submitted to the Timaru
District CouncilStimulus
Fund.
GeraldineCommunity Board
chair Wayne O’Donnell said the
community projectwas agood
fitfor thestimulusfund, which
was acouncil initiativeto
support thedistrict to move
from survive to thrive modein
the covid environment.
“A grantfrom thefund at this
timewould set this project in
motion.”
With the fundraising phase
now active, the board of GSC
invitesand encourages the
communitytoget behind the
project in any waypossible with
donations or offersofpractical
help.
To donateorsupportthe
projectplease contactthe
Geraldine CombinedSports
Association at
geraldinecombinedsports@gmail.com.