$1m upgrade for hockey turf

WORK has started on an upgrade of the Taranaki hockey turf in Stratford, which will cost nearly a million dollars.The Taranaki Synthetic Turf Trust is replacing the existing sand surface with a water-based one that will reduce player injuries, says Taranaki Hockey Club president John Sandford, who is also the Stratford District Council representative on the trust.
A grant of $675,000 from the Taranaki Electricity Trust has enabled the upgrade to begin. A further $225,000 is needed to complete the installation of the irrigation system.  
Contractor Downer NZ has already begun the work of ripping up the old carpet and removing the 200 tonnes of sand under it, and should be finished by early February.
After this, Tiger Turf NZ, new Zealand's largest dedicated hockey turf supplier, will lay the new "Water Efficient" WETT surface.  The new playing surface should be completed by mid-March,  ready for the next hockey season.
The new surface is built with a layer of asphalt underneath a rubber shock pad and a covering of carpet over that. A water irrigation system keeps water in the playing surface, which helps the ball travel well and also means that players who fall don't get injured.
The present sand-based surface, which is 14 years old and worn out, is very unforgiving and when players fall on it, it is like landing on sandpaper, says John.
The trust expects that Taranaki players will continue to develop their hockey skills, resulting in higher-level recognition.  In recent years, Taranaki has had a number of former players achieve international recognition in the Black Sticks.
John says older players will be tempted back into the sport by the gentler playing surface.
 "This will encourage a lot of people who haven't been able to play hockey on the sand surface to come back," says John. "It also opens the possibility of bringing national tournaments to Taranaki."
The turf upgrade will result in an international class facility, complementing the existing facilities at the TET stadium and the Taranaki region.
The trust is currently making applications to various funding organisations to pay for the water irrigation system. It's planned to collect water off the TET stadium roof into a holding tank, where it will be treated and then recycled over the new turf.
"This means we won't be drawing water off the town supply on a regular basis. Hockey is played through the winter so we expect there will be enough catchment off the roof to do that," John says.
The water surface has an expected lifespan to seven to ten years, which is a lot longer than the previous three-year life of similar systems. It is also going to be a lot cheaper to replace when it needs it, he says.
"You just lift the carpet and replace it, leaving the shock pads and irrigation system in place, so the cost is minimal," he says.
Taranaki Synthetic Turf Trust acknowledges the generous support of Taranaki Electricity Trust to make this project possible, and the cooperation  of sporting codes using King Edward Park, and  TET Stadium.