Ground laid for massive sports hub car park
A large car park and drainage works are underway at the site of Te Puāwaitanga - Bay of Islands Sports Hub in Waipapa. Find out about other progress and plans here.
A 5,500m2 patch of bare earth, stripped of topsoil adjacent to State Highway 10 at Waipapa may look like the beginnings of a sports field but will soon become a car park for Te Puāwaitanga - Bay of Island Sports Hub.
Its generous dimensions are just the beginnings of a parking area which will have the capacity to take over 300 cars as well as trailers, vans and coaches when finished next year.
Stormwater infrastructure, erosion and sediment controls are also under construction. Pipes currently being installed at the eastern end of the carpark will provide a 170-metre long reinforced drainage line and will sit under a footpath planned to link the car park and sports fields.
Other completed work at the 46.77-hectare site includes installation of sediment controls and some power ducting, most of the major tree felling and diversion of waterways to ensure the sports fields will be free-draining and dry all year round. This was completed under the supervision of cultural monitors.
Work started on the site in November following weeks of wet weather delays. While good progress has been made since then, regular rain events have caused further delays over the past month in what was reportedly the wettest November on record in Northland.
The facility is planned to become a ‘hub’ for a range of sports including football, rugby league, cricket, competitive gymnastics, hockey, softball and croquet.
Development of four sports fields is part of Stage 2 of the construction. The site has capacity for up to seven sports fields, although funding is not currently allocated for this. The council has set aside $8.758 million for the $10.758 million project, with the additional $2 million being provided by the government’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
You can view the concept plans and find out about the project background on our Te Puāwaitanga – Bay of Islands Sports Hub webpage.
Below - the orange line added to the concept plan shows the location of the drainage line being installed on the eastern side of the car park area.
Below - reinforced concrete drainage line being installed at the eastern end of the car park.
