Master plan for Victoria sports hub

A multi-million dollar project to revamp Victoria Domain in Childers Road is gaining momentum. It envisages the construction of a new Victoria Hub building (pictured), for the sports codes using the domain now. Image supplied

The group proposing the creation of a Victoria Hub to link all the sports operating on Victoria Domain in Childers Road have put together a master plan and have begun to move the total $20-$30 million project forward.

The proposal by the Victoria Sport and Recreation Hub would bring together, under one roof, the Gisborne Netball Centre, Gisborne Tennis Club, Pickleball NZ, Basketball NZ and the Surf City Squash Club.

“The hub would link all the sports affiliated with the project under one banner with the aim of building a robust sport and recreation facility on Victoria Domain,” said Moera Brown, chair of the board overseeing the project.

“We have started the process to register as a charitable trust and are looking at the availability of expertise to help us explore other funding options,” she said.

“Initial approved funding of $350,000 from Trust Tairāwhiti allows us to develop a forecast of costs for the complete project.

“That early funding support will pay for the  initial groundwork and infrastructure assessments.

“We have had very good support from the trust around our strategic planning for this project.”

Approaches have been made to central government for financial support, Mrs Brown said.

The three-stage project would begin with the re-surfacing of the existing netball courts at Victoria Domain and the removal of the existing Gisborne Netball Centre pavilion, which is now no longer fit for purpose, she said.

“It would bring the courts up to New Zealand Netball standard.

“Stage one will also involve the construction of a new combined service Hub building that would be a base for netball administration, as well as a ‘Hub’ for the other codes currently using Victoria Domain.

“The current tennis clubrooms would be demolished because they are not fit for purpose either, and that will be the location of the new combined ‘Hub’.

“The tennis club and the squash club have been part of this whole process.”

The current tennis courts in Victoria Domain will remain.

Mrs Brown said costings have yet to be finalised for Stage one but they estimate between $6 and $10 million dollars.

“Stage Two will be the construction of three covered courts for netball, basketball, pickleball built along the boundary between the netball courts and Gisborne Intermediate.

“Stage Three will be to finish off the tennis component of the project with the creation of more courts, and integrating the current squash clubrooms into the Hub.

Mrs Brown said it was envisaged that the YMCA Oscar programme and other community use activities would be able to operate out of the Hub once completed.

“We haven’t put a total cost on the project but we estimate between $20 and $30 million for the whole lot.

“Each costed stage can be funded separately, based on accurate costs and committed benefits delivery.”

Mrs Brown said it was expected that each stage would be funded using a co-funding model involving a range of financial support.

“The principal reason for developing such a Hub is that some of the codes in that area are under resourced, despite having high participation numbers.

“We estimate the combined entity would have a combined membership base of well in excess of 2000 people.”

Mrs Brown said delivering shared services benefits all from an administration, financial, marketing and facility management and maintenance point of view.

In terms of a time frame for the project Mrs Brown said the Gisborne Netball Centre was committed to resurfacing the netball courts before the start of the 2024  season.

“Our hope is that we can move the whole project forward around that same time frame, in other words to have Stage One completed sometime next year.

“This concept is 20 years in the making and we, the users of Victoria Domain, are committed to moving it forward.

“We recognise the need to ensure we are joined up with all the activities and facilities that are currently in Victoria Domain, to ensure we have the same desires and objectives, such as the conversation around an indoor stadium.”