Te Whaea Artificial Turf in Newtown.
THE PLANNED turfs in Johnsonville, Tawa and Porirua, comes after the council increased its funding towards building new artificial fields since the success Wellington has had with its current turfs.
Wellington currently has four artificial turfs and one under construction at St Patrick’s College which should be ready by April for the winter sport season.
While artificial turfs cost more to build and maintain than grass, Wellington City Councillor Glenn McGovern says that they’re more practical during the winter months.
“In the 2011/12 financial year the maintenance costs varied from $12,000 per annum to $42,000,” Mr McGovern says, “maintenance of natural grass sports fields varies from $10,000 to $25,000,”
However, Mr McGovern says artificial sports fields have far greater usage than the natural sports fields.
The WCC splits maintenance costs for the all-surface turfs at Wellington College and St Patricks College.
Around half of the $800,000 to construct the St Patricks turf in Kilbirnie will also be paid by the WCC.
Winter sports have benefited from midweek fixtures, with games moved to weekdays under lights to avoid postponing or cancelling games.
The WCC has also noted there has been an increased use of bookings for the artificial turfs through the summer months.
“We have seen an increase of summer use for Touch Rugby competitions, football academy programmes, junior cricket, school holiday programmes and AFL9′s,” Mr McGovern says.
Bookings during peak times cost $75 an hour, or the whole weekend rate is available for $750.
Sport team subsidies and casual ground bookings contribute to paying for the surface.
“Income from ground hire for artificial sports fields covers approximately 40% of the operating costs,” says Mr McGovern.
Wellington’s first all-weather turf, Nairnville Park in Khandallah, was completed in 2009.
