Full steam ahead for Sportsville Dargaville project

An image of the proposed Dargaville Sportsville complex which has reached the funding level required to start construction.

The proposed Sportsville Dargaville facility at Memorial Park will now become a reality after another piece of the funding puzzle was secured.

National gaming trust Pub Charity has donated $178,000 towards the project, which will benifit all sporting codes currently and potentially using Memorial Park.

Kauri Coast Recreational Society Chairman Chris Biddles said the board was delighted to receive the funding.

"This is a hugely generous grant from Pub Charity, and the board wants to thank the Northern Wairoa Hotel for the part they have played in being the host venue for Pub Charity gaming machines in Dargaville - without them this donation just would not have been possible," he said.

Pub Charity were lavish in their praise of the board and their project.

"They mentioned to us how impressed they were with the board's enthusiasm and professionalism and their thorough planning of the project, which is great recognition for a dedicated group of volunteers that have been working hard for over three years to get this project off the ground" said Biddles.

The latest grant comes hard on the heels of a $650,000 grant from the NZ Lotteries Grants Board in June and an earlier donation of $1.033m from Foundation North (the old ASB Community Trust) in November last year.

Biddles, however, stresses that although the latest funding confirmation allows the previous Foundation North and Lotteries funding to be now accessed by the board, there is still a need to continue with local fundraising, as there are still aspects of the project that remain unfunded.

"While it allows us to start construction in the coming months, we will be submitting a smaller funding application in the near future and we have a fundraising sub-committee that are planning some fundraising activities over the next 12 months".

The Pub Charity grant allows project managers Griffiths and Associates to launch into pre-construction planning, including the imminent announcement of main project contractors and then a likely start to construction in October/November.