Sports hub design plans out

Portacoms, rusty containers and public toilets – all in a weekend’s work for some Marlborough sports clubs.

Is it any wonder they’ve been hanging out for a new sports hub at Blenheim’s Lansdowne Park?

The vision for the multi-code shared space was first mooted nearly 10 years ago, and this month, the Marlborough District Council released ‘‘detailed designs’’ of the $5 million building.

The double-storey building, looking something akin to the Endeavour Park Pavilion in Picton, would have toilets and change rooms for netball, rugby union, touch rugby and softball, as well as office space for sports administration staff.

It would be nestled between the rugby fields and netball courts, with a bar, kitchen, function area, equipment storerooms, umpire rooms and a tuck shop on site.

The hub’s designs were now in their final stages, released in the council’s annual plan document, before being put to tender. No date had been set for construction to start. The council would manage the hub.

Other sports, such as beach volleyball and matbased martial arts, were making the shift to Lansdowne Park.

Marlborough Netball chairwoman Beth Tester said the new sports hub would mean they could hold tournaments.

Marlborough netballers had played two seasons on the new courts since moving from Horton Park in 2017, she said.

‘‘The sports hub brings together some of the other sports that are utilising the park.

‘‘It allows us to have a permanent base to run the sport.’’

They had been running the sport from two portacoms, and with about 1500 players registered for this season, it was ‘‘less that ideal’’, Tester said.

‘‘To actually have a facility that has a first aid room, toilets, showers will enable us to hold tournaments.’’

Netball New Zealand had been waiting for Marlborough Netball to say ‘‘yes we can do it [hold tournaments]’’, she said.

‘‘We will be able to attract people to Marlborough which will be a real positive for Marlborough.’’

Once the building was built, they were hoping to cover six of their 15 courts, putting a rubber surface on those courts, to reduce injuries and joint harm.

Marlborough Touch Association president Ngaire Lawson said they were looking forward to the development being completed. ‘‘Having a decent facility