Basketball is played at the Rodney Green Centennial Event Centre all year round, across every age bracket. Photo / Paul Taylor
Basketball is played at the Rodney Green Centennial Event Centre all year round, across every age bracket. Photo / Paul Taylor
The long-term closure of Rodney Green Centennial Event Centre will be a big blow to basketball in Hawke's Bay, with its three full-size court spaces out of commission for some time.
The venue, which was formally known as Centennial Hall, could be closed for up to 18 months while thehall's wooden floor is repaired, or more likely replaced, after severe flood damage.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise told Radio New Zealand the hall adjacent to McLean Park in Napier South was going to be out of action that long after flooding in Napier last month.
Basketball Hawke's Bay general manager Nick Hogan said the hit on their organisation would obviously be quite dramatic.
"Losing three courts will mean there will be a decrease in the amount that we can offer next year, especially for our junior level," he said.
The Napier South venue was badly flooded last month, with the wooden floor needing repairing or replacing after warping. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hogan praised Napier City Council for keeping Basketball Hawke's Bay informed since the flooding occurred last month.
"They came out pretty early in terms of what the potential timeframe might be," he said, which meant he has been able to plan effectively to mitigate the loss of court space.
Hogan said they have been getting creative in their planning in order to get through the next year, with solutions like using outdoor courts and bringing portable hoops into community halls.
"At the end of the day if we have to put up portable hoops in carparks, then we can potentially do that as well," Hogan said
According to the agenda for the Napier City Council Audit and Risk Committee meeting on Wednesday, flood water throughout Centennial Hall warped the flooring, with a damage report being compiled by wood flooring specialists.
"The Centennial Hall floor has been severely impacted, and it is likely that this will need to be replaced," it said.
The Evolution of the Motorcycle Show is one example of the many events that get hosted at the Rodney Green Centennial Event Centre each year. Photo / Warren Buckland
The agenda said the hall had suffered both surface water ingress as well as water ingress from above.
A council spokesperson said they don't know yet know what work is required, how long it could take, the cost, or whether it will be a repair or replacement job.
They said staff and experts are currently reviewing the damage looking at the options.
"This project will be required to go through appropriate procurement processes, however, it is unknown at this stage how soon the successful tenderer could start work, or what the availability of materials will be like at that point," they said.
