Rangitīkei council contributes funds for Marton Centennial Park netball courts resurfacing

Rangitīkei Netball is close to being able to resurface three netball courts in Marton.

Rangitīkei District Council has allocated $50,000 towards the resurfacing of Marton’s Centennial Park netball courts.

At its November 27 meeting, the council agreed to the project being community-led as a council-owned facilities project.

Despite Rangitīkei Netball not formally asking for money from the council, up to $50,000 will be available.

Rangitīkei Netball president Katie Deere was pleased the council was willing to financially support the project.

“It was really unexpected - it’s huge,” Deere said.

“It’s more than enough to get what we need to put up, which is great.”

Rangitīkei Netball has now raised $145,000, after receiving $50,000 from Four Regions Trust, $10,000 from Marton Op Shop, $5000 from Pub Charity and donations from local businesses.

The resurfacing project was expected to cost between $50,000 and $250,000, but Deere believed it would be less than $150,000.

In August, the organisation urged the council to act after netball players were injured on the “unsafe” courts.

An estimated 300 children use the courts on Saturdays.

Initially, Deere wanted to upgrade the three courts to four resurfaced courts to accommodate the growing interest.

However, to be ready for the netball season in April and keep short-term costs down, the current configuration of courts will remain.

Additionally, the proposed four-court layout would not meet safety and performance standards because of a building that was too close.

“We do need more courts but, for the purpose of not disrupting netball season and having courts closed for a couple of years, we think this is the better option while [council] plan and put funds aside for a bigger upgrade of that space in the coming years,” Deere said.

“When we do a big rebuild and a new pad is laid, we would then like the option to put an extra court in.”

The council will seek more information and quotes for the acrylic surface overlays and cushioned hard-court systems in accordance with its procurement policy.

Deputy Mayor Dave Wilson said there was not enough detail on the condition of the courts to put any surface overlay on.

“Nowhere in any of the reports does it actually address what the condition of the courts are like right now, apart from speculation of their overall condition,” he said.

“We are going to get to where we need to get to but we have just got to check a couple of steps off first.”

Mayor Andy Watson supported the request for more information but warned it would slow progress.

“I just don’t want to see a huge vacuum where nothing happens - I want to make sure that things happen,” Watson said.

Deere said the council should let the community lead instead of dictating what court surface should be used.

Rangitīkei Netball would prefer a rubberised paint surface, which Deere said was the most common around the central North Island.

A council consultant recommended a cushioned court surface but Deere said it did not work well for the area.

“[It] doesn’t do well with moisture, frost and ice. Our pad is 65 years old, so it has a lot of moisture in it,” Deere said.

The proposed cushioned court surface would have a wooden base, with layers of foam and a hard top.

“As soon as that wood goes down, it’s not going to end very well and it won’t last its lifespan,” she said.

Deere said the surface could get cracked by the ice, which could be dangerous.

Deere is awaiting quotes from two suppliers to determine which surface to go with.

Councillor Fi Dalgety proposed the council consider contributing more funds in the future.

Watson said funding could be considered in the 2026-27 annual plan.

Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.