New sports facility on the way for Tūrangi

Darren Petry from Taupō District Council

Construction of a new sports facility in Tūrangi is scheduled to get underway in the coming months.

The new facility, a partnership between Ngāti Tūrangitukua and Taupō District Council, will include a main hall, changing rooms and a kitchen, and will be built at Tūrangitukua Park in Tūrangi.

Some $1.7 million was set aside for the project in Taupō District Council’s 2021 annual plan. In February 2022, $1.5 million of unbudgeted expenditure was approved by Council to cover the increased costs of construction since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and with a further $300,000 made available via a BayTrust grant, the total budget for the project is now $3.5 million.

A steering group, including representatives from Ngāti Tūrangitukua and the Tūrangi Tongariro Community Board, is overseeing the project, and a construction contractor has been appointed.

Ngāti Tūrangitukua kaumātua Jeff Bennett said he was pleased iwi was able to partner with council to make the project happen.

“We’ve been without a sports facility in Tūrangi for generations,” Mr Bennett said, “so it is great to see that this has finally been addressed and our community will have a place where we can host events and visiting teams in the manner that we would like to. I have no doubt that this facility is going to grow into an essential part of our community, and I’d like to thank Mayor David and his team for hearing us and helping to make this a reality.”

Project manager Pete Bradshaw said that it was great to see the project getting underway.

“This is going to be a great asset for the town. Many people in Tūrangi have wanted a purpose-built facility in the town and Tūrangitukua Park is an ideal location. Having a permanent facility like this will better cater to the sports teams that use the park and will mean Turangi can host visiting sports teams, provide shelter in poor weather as well as creating a flexible indoor space for various community groups.

“We’ve been working closely with Ngāti Tūrangitukua on this project, particularly around the design, and it’s fantastic that as landowners they have very generously allowed us to use this space.

"We have appointed Livingstone Building as the main contractor and they are looking forward to working on the project and engaging with the Turangi community to deliver a really first class facility.”

Site preparation is due to start on 16 May.