Waipā Sports Field Lease Model Review

The Central Waikato Sub-Region Sports Field Supply and Demand Assessment identified an existing and growing shortage of training and playing hours in Waipā. In response to this, Council through its 2021-2031 Long Term Plan funded:

• improvements to the sports field network to increase training and playing hours, and
• a review of the sports field leases to assess whether the current leasing approach is the best model to support the delivery and growth of sport, informal recreation and events in Waipā, and wider open space network outcomes.

The project is necessary to figure out if change is needed from the current lease model. It may turn out that there is no need to change, but we can’t figure that out without talking to affected groups and assessing the lease models against agreed principles and outcomes.

Council wants to ensure that all lease holder groups have the opportunity to have their say before any changes are decided upon.

Current lease holders on our sports parks include:

• The Tom Voyle Park Sports Club Inc
• Cambridge Football Club Inc
• Hautapu Sports and Recreation Club Inc
• Cambridge Cricket Association
• Leamington Rugby Sports Club
• Park Road Sports Inc, Rosetown Rogues
• Te Awamutu Association Football Club Inc
• Kihikihi Rugby Sports Club
• Ohaupo Community Sport and Recreation Centre Trust
• Pirongia Sports and Recreation Centre Inc

Other user groups who utilise our sports parks will also be consulted with during this process.

Sports parks included in this study include:

• Tom Voyle Park
• Memorial Park
• John Kerkhof Park
• Athletic Park
• Victoria Square
• Leamington Park
• Leamington Domain
• Gwyneth Common
• Albert Park
• Castleton Park
• Anchor Park
• Sherwin Park
• Te Awamutu Stadium
• Kihikihi Domain
• Ohaupo Memorial Park
• Pirongia Sports Park
• The Kaipaki Centre

This piece of work is expected to be completed by September 2023. Any further pieces of work, if necessary, will start after this time.

Groups that will be consulted with throughout this project include: lease holders and user groups on the sports parks identified above. Lease holders will be met with in person and other user groups will be consulted with through a survey.

For this piece of work we are not talking to the wider community, just leaseholders and sports field user groups at this stage. If you are not in these groups but have concerns or suggestions you’d like to make known, please contact the project team by emailing info@waipadc.govt.nz

Through the project council will develop a new sports field network framework that includes a Mission Statement, Principles and Outcomes. The options will be assessed against the principles and outcomes.

The project will assess the costs of the various lease model options and options available to Council to keep access to sports fields affordable. This will be one of the key factors considered by Council prior to making a decision to ensure cost doesn’t become a barrier to participation in sport.

At this stage, it is too early to know the answer to this question definitively. Our initial thinking is that for some of the lease model options, a consistent approach will be required to realise the full benefits but this will be explored further through the project.

Please send any further questions you may have about this project to info@waipadc.govt.nz