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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>20</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong><br />
33<br />
Geraldine’s turf project ‘shovelready’<br />
Geraldine’sDomain<br />
redevelopment project, which<br />
includes installationofamultipurpose<br />
allweather turf, is<br />
shovel ready and actively<br />
seeking funding, says<br />
Geraldine CombinedSports<br />
Association (GCS)Chairman,<br />
Aaron McCullough.<br />
Mr McCulloughsaysit’s been<br />
nearly four yearssincethe GCS<br />
board first saw an opportunity<br />
to contribute to aregionwide<br />
review of sport and recreation<br />
facilities, which then morphed<br />
into aGeraldinespecific<br />
projecttoreview and identify<br />
keysporting and recreational<br />
needs to take Geraldine<br />
successfully into the future.<br />
Amultipurpose allweather<br />
turf and acommunity hubwere<br />
the two main infrastructure<br />
recommendations that came<br />
from the subsequent report,<br />
which wasproduced by Global<br />
Leisure Group.<br />
“The turf,storage facilities,<br />
cricketnets, new path, blade<br />
signs, lighting and car park<br />
upgradewerethe obvious first<br />
choices to progress which will<br />
create acentral location to play<br />
sport, meet newpeople easily,<br />
and engage in ourcommunity,’’<br />
Mr McCullough said.<br />
‘‘Geraldine Hockey Club,<br />
which hasseen fast growth in<br />
recent years, doesn’t have any<br />
facilities inGeraldine so<br />
players of all ages currently<br />
An artist’s impression of the turf project.<br />
must travel out of town for<br />
practicesand games. Thelack<br />
of an allweathersurface<br />
impacts on other sporting codes<br />
like netball and tennis as well.”<br />
GCS coboard member and<br />
Geraldine.nz coordinator,<br />
JaneneAdams, said that at<br />
times the projecthad felt like a<br />
long road.<br />
‘‘But there has been agreat<br />
bunch of people who have<br />
contributed their time and<br />
skills to workconsistently on all<br />
aspects of this projectandit<br />
feels great to finally get there.”<br />
She said many people had put<br />
in ahugeeffort and the project<br />
had the support of the Timaru<br />
District Council, Sport<br />
Canterbury andthe small group<br />
of localdonors who sponsored<br />
theinitial feasibility report.<br />
Community meetings,<br />
consultations, business<br />
sponsorship to commission a<br />
professionalfeasibility study,<br />
more consultation, meetings<br />
and finally aconcept plan,<br />
designand resource consent<br />
are just some of the steps and<br />
actions GCS has completed<br />
over this period.<br />
The turf will be overlaid on<br />
the existing courts located in<br />
the Geraldine Domain and<br />
complemented by lighting and a<br />
digital booking system, as well<br />
as rollon rolloff equipmentto<br />
protectthe high tech surface,<br />
which is suitablefor arange of<br />
sporting users, who have all<br />
contributed to the process thus<br />
far.<br />
Mr McCulloughsaid sporting<br />
groups had collaborated and<br />
key stakeholders signed a<br />
memorandum of<br />
understanding.<br />
The next step for theGCS is to<br />
seek fundingtocomplete the<br />
project, estimatedtocost$1.15<br />
million.<br />
“The project will be staged so<br />
we can ensure development<br />
starts ASAP. We are gratefulto<br />
ourbusiness sponsors who<br />
donated the surplusfrom the<br />
feasibility studyprocess and to<br />
theThomas HobsonTrust who<br />
supported us generously in<br />
<strong>20</strong>19. Thesecontributions have<br />
given us agood base fromwhich<br />
to seek larger funding support.”<br />
An application is being<br />
submitted to the Timaru<br />
District CouncilStimulus<br />
Fund.<br />
GeraldineCommunity Board<br />
chair Wayne O’Donnell said the<br />
community projectwas agood<br />
fitfor thestimulusfund, which<br />
was acouncil initiativeto<br />
support thedistrict to move<br />
from survive to thrive modein<br />
the covid environment.<br />
“A grantfrom thefund at this<br />
timewould set this project in<br />
motion.”<br />
With the fundraising phase<br />
now active, the board of GSC<br />
invitesand encourages the<br />
communitytoget behind the<br />
project in any waypossible with<br />
donations or offersofpractical<br />
help.<br />
To donateorsupportthe<br />
projectplease contactthe<br />
Geraldine CombinedSports<br />
Association at<br />
geraldinecombinedsports@gmail.com.