Build it, They will come
Big day planned to mark Te Puke’s new grandstand
Itwas always going to be a big project— but it turned out to be bigger than anyone imagined. Late in 2017, Te Puke Sports and Recreation Club got their hands on a fewhundred old seats from Christchurch’s Lancaster Park.
The club bought the seats from the earthquake-damaged stadium after Christchurch City Council advertised their sale.
The plan wasto getthem to Te Puke and build a stand around them at Murray Salt Stadium.
It’s taken longer than expected, and cost a lotmorethan was first thought, but the project isnow nearing completion with an official opening next week.
“Whenwefirst kicked it off . . . we thought the grandstand would cost us somewhere in the vicinity of $200,000,” says project co-ordinator Rick Hannay, “but aswedeveloped and asweworked with Letts [Construction] werealised that if we were going to do a grandstand, we wanted a lifetime grandstand, not something that is going to be partially woodthat would deteriorate.
“So we’ve gone for the best and the materials that are being used are lifetime materials.”
The final cost will be somewhere around $800,000.
There has been a lot of ancillary work that has been done, including changing the rear of the club rooms tomakethe areamoreuser friendly and extensive earthworks.
“Murray Salt and others have donated a heck of a lot to the club in terms of earthworks, machinery skills and builders and concrete
layers. It has stillcomeat anextra cost, but the blow-out relates to improvements in the club and the grandstand, not miscalculations.
“The support we’ve had from the business community, related inmany cases to horticulture, has been absolutely superb.”
Rick says rural companies thatdo business in the Te Puke area such as Rabobank, Seeka, First Mortgage Trust and Growsafe have pitched in.
“Our club is based in the heart of the world’s kiwifruit industry, and as a consequence of that, the businesses that do business in this area have recognised that a lot of ourmembers are farmers and orchardists.
“We’ve also had companies like Stratum and Arnold and Johnstone, whoare professional structural people, whohave worked tomake sure this building is safe and is planned correctly. They have pitched in at basically no cost to us, sowe have been very lucky in that area.”
There have also been funding contributions fromtectand NZCT, but Rick credits Te Pukecommunity Board as the supporter that ensured the project got off the ground.
“They put in $60,000 at the starting point, then Western Bay (of Plenty District Council) started to top that up, sowewill forever be indebted to the Te Pukecommunityboard for saying ‘yes’ to this project.”
Clubmembers“purchased” individual seats and then Seekawas the first commercial sponsor tocome on board.
The need fornewsupporters’ accommodationwashighlighted by the visit of the Argentine Hindu Sports Club in early 2017whenthe oldwoodenstandwasfull.
“Wesaw that our old stand wasjust totally inadequate,” says Rick. While the club hopes thenewstand will help attract bigger games, the emphasis is on community use.
“This is a communitygrandstand andwewant to see community
The support we’ve had from the business community, related in many cases to horticulture, has been absolutely superb. Rick Hannay
sports played here and community events— charity events, whatever theymaybe— this grand stand is for them— this is for Te Puke— it’s not just for Te Puke Sports, this is an open club andwewant to keep it that way.”
Thenewgrandstandwill be officially opened on December 4with an afternoon of celebrations including junior rugby, kabati, performances from school groups and a ribbon cutting by club stalwarts Murray andheather Salt.
In the evening there will be amore formal function featuring guest speakers Ian Kirkpatrick and Eric Rush and an auction which, among the items up for grabs, will be a pair of boxing gloves signed by Joseph Parker, TJ Perenara’s All Black jersey, awall-hangingmural depicting the history of Te Puke Sports and a portrait of and signed by Ian Kirkpatrick by Bay of Plenty artist Patrick Gibbons.