Just 10 kilometres away from the Mitre 10 Park is the home of indoor court sport, the Pettigrew.Green Arena (PGA), which was built in 2002.
Operated by the arena’s trust, participation has well outgrown court space availability, leaving children as young as seven and eight years old playing volleyball and basketball at a time when they’re usually heading to bed.
Trust chairman Craig Waterhouse is leading a $20 million new-build project providing six courts to be used for basketball, futsal and netball or twelve volleyball courts and is aimed exclusively for community use.
In 2002, Hastings District Council (HDC), Napier City Council and EIT worked collaboratively to build PGA but so far only Napier City Council has committed to funding, contributing $4.1 million; the biggest funders are the government’s Provincial Growth Fund, which pledged $6.4 million, and Lottery Significant Projects Fund, which gave $3 million.
Craig is hoping to cover the shortfall with a last ditch effort for funds from HDC, as well as private funders, in the hope of not pushing the recovery of the shortfall on to codes and participants via increases in hire fees.
“HDC drove the original build through the previous mayor (Lawrence Yule) as well as pushed for an operational restructure when it was in financial trouble five years ago.”
Craig says the fact that the venue is physically in Napier shouldn’t stop funding support from Hastings as it is regarded as a regional facility that mutually benefits Hastings and Napier residents.
“When the current facility was built in 2002, Taradale was regarded as the best central location by both councils. It was opposite EIT (the region’s tertiary education institute), was on a major bus route and fitted with the major roading networks proposed to be built.”
Facility use by Napier and Hastings residents is close to equal, and 90 percent of current PGA users are under 19 years of age.
“The project will provide positive benefits for the health and well-being of the people of Hawke’s Bay. The arena complex will increase Hawke’s Bay’s ability to look after its own recreational needs and help it to grow a stronger, healthier community.”
As well as being short of funds for the new facility, Craig is also concerned about future funding for community, much of which comes from gambling and gaming machine trusts.
Gaming trusts have provided funding for the new courts as well as sports equipment over the past 20 years and the trusts also directly fund user organisations such as Basketball
Hawke’s Bay and Netball Hawke’s Bay, helping keep player and hire fees more affordable.
“Our business model will likely collapse when gaming machine trusts are eliminated. The arena trust gets funds to operate, and all regular-user sports clubs and associations receive funds for staff and arena court fees. Sport codes’ costs will go up significantly and income will go down if this type of funding disappears.
“Who fixes this? I have no idea, I assume councils, which are the organisations that ultimately decide on the number of gaming machines operated.”
Gaming trusts have provided funding for the new courts as well as sports equipment over the past 20 years and the trusts also directly fund user organisations such as Basketball
Hawke’s Bay and Netball Hawke’s Bay, helping keep player and hire fees more affordable.
“Our business model will likely collapse when gaming machine trusts are eliminated. The arena trust gets funds to operate, and all regular-user sports clubs and associations receive funds for staff and arena court fees. Sport codes’ costs will go up significantly and income will go down if this type of funding disappears.
“Who fixes this? I have no idea, I assume councils, which are the organisations that ultimately decide on the number of gaming machines operated.”
