Whanganui’s Williams Domain morphing into multi-purpose facility

Hakeke Community Centre and Library's Play Lab initiative utilises Williams Domain every week.

Williams Domain in Whanganui East is slowly transforming into a multi-purpose facility.

Fence posts have been installed around the perimeter by the Whanganui Football Charitable Trust, which has agreed on a lease with the Whanganui District Council.

The council is also collaborating with Sport Whanganui to install a half-basketball court.

Concrete has been laid for the court but the hoop and surface are yet to be installed.

Vehicles damaging the grass has been a long-running problem, with half the park covered in skids and donuts in April.

Council property and open spaces general manager Sarah O’Hagan said vandalism at the domain happened too often - “once is often enough” - and it was a real shame.

“It’s a small part of the community that don’t have the respect for that sort of thing and that’s unfortunate,” she said.

“The fence should stop them - unless you want to wreck your car.”

She said the trust was paying for the fence in lieu of the council charging it licence and lease fees.

“It’s a quid pro quo arrangement, a win-win all around from my perspective.”

The trust, which operates football in Whanganui, now uses the domain for regular night training.

Half of the park was covered in donuts and skids in April. Photo / NZME

O’Hagan said the trust had leased nearby Wembley Park for “years and years and years” and she expected the same thing at Williams Domain.

In March, she said football in Whanganui was growing and Wembley Park could not keep up with demand.

“We’ve got a long-standing relationship with the trust.

“It hasn’t always been plain sailing but we get there in the end.”

Hakeke Community Centre and Library, located across the road from the domain, will receive council funding for additional staff to enable longer opening hours.

Board member Din Bandara said the basketball court was “a long time coming” and he was pleased to see the progress.

“One thing we do at the centre is ‘Play Lab’, an after-school kids’ programme that connects with St Mary’s, Whanganui East School and the Oscar [Out of School Care and Recreation] programme at Love and Learn [daycare],” he said.

“A play trailer is there every week and they have been using Williams Domain.

“It’s great that they are using the space and having a court there will allow them to try different sports outside of Play Lab times.”

He said people in Whanganui East were not afraid to “take things by the scruff of the neck” when it came to getting things done.

“Last year the council had several connection meetings with the community and Whanganui East brought in around 150 people,” he said.

“There are a lot of voices here and they all come together.”

O’Hagan said the orchard at the Maketu St end of the domain was being looked after by volunteers.

“There will be football going on, basketball going on and there are fruit trees that are feeding people.

“The lights have been activated and it will be good to see the space used on a regular basis, which it hasn’t been.”

Bandara said when he was the centre’s interim manager, his office looked over the domain.

“I remember watching someone walk their dog there, but they were in their ute with the lead hanging out the window.

“They were driving while the dog ran. That was pretty amusing.

“There are lots of benefits to having a fence there, especially when it comes to safety for the kids.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.