Planning for Hutt sportvilles

Details of proposed sporting hubs in Wainuiomata and Petone should be clearer early next year.

Hutt City Council general manager Matt Reid said council officers were working with one rep from each sporting group to present councillors with concrete proposals.

Depending on how councillors respond, funding would then be included in the Long Term Plan.

Reid would not criticise Petone Sportsville but said a plan it unveiled for a $15 million facility based on the Petone Rec was unrealistic.

‘‘For us as officers, we have been very consistent that there is no way they could expect $15m.’’

The council had always made it clear that the $18m Fraser Park Sportsville was a regional facility and the first priority.

Councillors were never going to agree to another project of that magnitude, he said.

The situation in Wainuiomata is also complex.

In May, Wainuiomata Sportsville presented city councillors with a proposal for a $6.7m facility based on Frederick Wise Park, the home ground for rugby league.

But the bowling club said it had no intention of moving. Rugby said it could see the need, but did not want to share facilities with rugby league, who said the hub was crucial.

Reid understood why some clubs were reluctant but said the reality was that without change clubs would collapse.

Clubs in Petone and Wainuiomata have to understand that sports hubs are not about building flash new clubrooms.

The council wanted to promote participation in sport but did not have tens of millions to spend on clubrooms, he said.

When council was asked to provide financial backing, clubs would have to show a willingness to work together.