Selwyn_Times: June 28, 2023

Wednesday June 28 2023 Selwyn Times
• By Daniel Alvey
DRAINAGE ISSUES have
disrupted play at the district’s
newest sports facility.
Stage one of the $13 million
Kakaha Park on Birchs Rd
between Prebbleton and Lincoln
was officially opened this month.
The park has a range of
features
including
sports fields,
a dog park,
playgrounds,
and cycle
tracks.
But some
users have
criticised the
park’s poor
drainage.
Prebbleton Football Club
president Shannon Gilmore said
the drainage issues had closed
the fields on several occasions.
“The ground has been closed a
couple of times already. It’s a bit
damper than most grounds,” he
said.
“They (the district council)
have closed one senior ground,
but the others are pretty damp.”
Gilmore said one team asked
to use a different pitch due to a
large puddle in the middle of a
field.
District council major projects
manager Phil Millar said the
drainage issues at the park were
first noticed last year and a longterm
solution is being worked on
for next season.
“During the installation of the
first stage of the park, we became
aware that two of the soakage
basins were not draining as
designed and, over the past two
months, we have also become
aware that the playing fields have
not been draining adequately,
especially on the most eastern of
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Drainage issues stop play
Shannon
Gilmore
WET: Drainage issues at Kakaha Park have caused the
football fields to become water-logged.
PHOTO: DANIEL ALVEY
the three fields,” Millar said.
He said the drainage system
under the playing fields was
designed to a higher level than
most others in the district. It has
drains every 7.5m, which funnel
the water into one of the four
soakage basins on the site.
Millar said the drainage issues
had been exaggerated by the
higher than average groundwater
levels in the area. The grass on
the new playing fields will also
take a couple of years to fully
grow and the soil health will
improve.
The district council has asked
an engineering consultancy firm
to produce a report within the
next month on the issues and
recommend long-term solutions
for the site. Stage two of the park,
due to be completed in 2025-26,
also includes
playing fields.
“We have
used a number
of temporary
solutions,
including
pumping out
the drains
under the
sports fields
Phil Millar
over the past two weeks and
previously pumping out the
soakage basins,” Millar said.
It has not been determined
where the money to fix the
drainage will come from or how
much it will cost.
Millar said this will depend on
the results of engineering report.
But Gilmore said apart from
the drainage, he was very happy
with the new park.
“It’s a beautiful design in a
great location. The changing
sheds are premier level and the
gear sheds are incredible. We’re
certainly grateful to have the
ground allocated to us.”
NEWS 3
Sodden
grounds hit
sport across
district
• By Daniel Alvey
WET GROUNDS have stopped
play on fields and closed golf
courses.
All weekend football was
postponed across Canterbury
by Mainland Football due to the
condition of the fields.
However, Selwyn United
Football Club was able to use the
artificial pitch at Foster Park
in a makeshift old vs young
match.
“On a weekend where
darkness, wet, and mud
consumed the region’s pitches,
the powers that be decided to
cancel all community football.
But one man, one coach, one
club stalwart dared to challenge
authority by asking ‘Can the lads
play anyway?’,” the club said on
Facebook.
“The GM looked out the office
window and, lo and behold,
the club had an artificial pitch.
Game on.”
Lincoln and Tai Tapu golf
courses were also closed due
to the wet weather, with a
week of rain leaving courses
waterlogged.
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