New sports facilities for Surrey Park
The Softball Southland Association’s $1.8 million redevelopment is under way and early next month work will also begin on replacing the athletic track at Surrey Park.
The cost of the track and other improvements – new lighting and sound system, back straight extensions, javelin run up area and alterations to the water jump – will be about $780,000.
Surrey Park has been the home of Southland softball since the 1950s. It is moving from the south side to opposite the athletics track on the north side. Building consent was approved last week.
Project manager Noel Eade said Softball Southland’s new headquarters could open by the middle of next year. The two softball diamonds being built might be useable in January, depending on weather.
‘‘There’ll be a tinge of sadness when we leave where we are at the moment . . . it’s been our home for a long time,’’ Eade said.
But the move will future-proof softball in the south.
Athletics Southland president Chris Knight said with no weather interruptions, the track and field facilities at Surrey Park would be available again in late March. Discussions on interim training venues are continuing, with a possible option for senior athletes to travel to Dunedin once a week. ‘‘Whether that’s viable or not, I’m not sure,’’ Knight said.
For this season, the Southland and Otago Senior Championships will run as one event in Dunedin in February. Southland results would probably be separated to determine Southland champions, Knight said.
Southland secondary and primary schools’ track and field events are also affected by the Surrey Park upgrade.
The Southland Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships will be held at Central Southland College in March. The primary schools’ equivalent is usually in April but because weather could delay the reopening of Surrey Park, the next year’s meet will be in November.
The new track will be as good as any in the country, according to Knight. ‘‘It was last replaced 16 years ago ... it’s been needing updating for five years.’’