Velodrome must be multi purpose

Velodrome project manager Geoff Balme

A cycling stalwart warns that no velodrome pays for itself.

However, Napier City Council believes there is enough public demand to warrant a $500,000 business case into a multipurpose facility which would include a velodrome.

Project manager Geoff Balme said the community at Cambridge, where the Avantidrome was located, had proven there was a place on the sporting and recreation landscape for track cycling.

"The first full year of operation at Cambridge saw more than 3400 hours of track use, of which 80 per cent was community use.

"Community use totalled 23,500 rides, of which 4500 was school children and juniors."

Past president of Cycling New Zealand Road and Track Ivan Aplin, velodrome proponent, said he had been advocating for such a facility in the Bay for almost 10 years and standalone facilities did not work because they became underutilised.

"The whole thing about velodromes is the multi-use options of it," he said.

"You can have multiple events going. You can have cycling running around the outside and still play basketball and other sports in the middle.

"It is like any facility - it just needs to be utilised to the max."

The country's most successful track cycling coach, Ron Cheatley, said velodromes had to be managed well, as there was ongoing maintenance and "other add-ons that come with a facility like that".

"At the end of the day there is no velodrome in the world that I know of that pays for itself," Mr Cheatley said.

"The only way they can pay for themselves is by obviously bringing in lots of visitors all the time and working out what the dollar spend is in the area.

Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, former chief executive officer Brendon Rope said he thought the concept behind having a multi-purpose facility was so other sports such as futsal, netball and basketball could use it.

He questioned how you could get a surface fit for cycling and then accommodate other sports.

"There is a real conflict."

Mr Balme said the surface would be considered during the design stage but the facilities for other sports would be to required regulations.

A "real attraction" of locating it next to Pettigrew-Green Arena was that it would provide an additional three regulation courts for indoor sports - creating six courts in total, for hosting major tournaments.

That would significantly enhance the region's chances for attracting major sporting events to Hawke's Bay.

Mr Balme said the cycling track was expected to be able to host national track cycling championships and lower-level international track cycling events such as the Oceania Championships, held in New Zealand every second year.

However, Mr Cheatley said only time would tell as to whether such a facility would be worthwhile for the Bay.

"There is no doubt the velodrome would get used; there is no doubt that it would have an initial impact.

"Whether that impact can remain long term is always the question."