Tūparikino Active Community Hub

Background​

• A 2019 Needs Assessment report found many sport and recreation codes are unable to access appropriate facilities in the district. The quality of facilities is generally low and no longer fit for purpose. Currently many sports compete for space in aging facilities, with many tamariki playing or training late into the evening and many sports are limiting numbers due to the lack of space.​

• A modern sport and recreational hub would be able to hold national sports tournaments along with major lifestyle events like kapa haka.​​
• NPDC’s 2021 10-Year Plan (10YP) had $40million to pay for about a third of the project plus $11m for running costs and other parties raising the rest of the money.​​
• The 10YP had a record 4,563 pieces of feedback and Paying it Forward had more feedback than any other item (4,447).​​
• With costs rising to around $110m in 2023, Councillors put a scaled back TACH back on the agenda for the 2024-2034 10-Year Plan with a proposed $35m investment.​ We received 3,222 pieces of feedback to the 10YP with 46% supporting the proposed funding and an additional 18% backing an increase to $50 million.​​

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• Councillors included up to $50m for the project in the 10-Year Plan to kickstart TACH.​ We’re working with all project partners to raise external funding and reduce the $50m cost to ratepayers.​
• NPDC is leading the delivery in partnership with Sport Taranaki and hapū (Ngāti Tūparikino and Ngāti Te Whiti). ​​

Vision​

• The Tūparikino Active Community Hub is important to building a Sustainable Lifestyle Capital where people want to live, work and invest.​
• We’re working with sports and community groups and hapū to build a multi-purpose hub for our tamariki and rangatahi.​
• We’re working closely with Ngāti Tūparikino and Ngāti Te Whiti on the design of the new indoor stadium and surrounding area, which users will see through cultural design elements across the new facility. ​
• We’ll be sharing the site with Taranaki Racing which signed a 33-year lease in December 2024 to continue their activities. This includes an agreement to remove the aging public viewing stand to accommodate the new stadium. Its removal will enable the racing club to use this space on race days, for example by hosting food trucks, marquees and corporate packages.
• The new indoor stadium will be able to hold national sports tournaments and events like kapa haka. The sports hall with six courts will be a shared space for sports such as netball, volleyball, basketball, badminton, pickleball, futsal, Tapu ae, and other activities. ​
• The TACH is also withing walking distance for more than 4,000 students at nearby schools.​
• Groundworks started in late 2024 and construction will begin by early 2026. We’re aiming to have the stadium open by 2028.​

A sustainable hub

• 96% of all materials from the demolished stand were reused as part of the project, including all the concrete which was crushed for aggregate, or recycled.​
• It will be an energy-efficient, low-maintenance building to keep the operating costs down.​
• The car park will be upgraded and will include a stormwater management system designed to protect the sensitive lake environment of Pukekura Park and return rainwater to the ground to recharge the natural aquifers.​

Timeline