'Genuine desire' for sporting hub to be developed in Winton
“Since I’ve been on the community board we are getting more and more applications coming from sports clubs about maintenance costs and facilities.”
After “a couple of goes” at developing a sporting hub in Winton in the past a community leader believes there is now a genuine desire to make it happen.
Oreti Community Board chairperson Colin Smith said there have been some issues at Moore’s Reserve in Winton - in particular around drainage - where various sports play - including cricket, football, and touch.
That has helped start the wider conversation around sporting facilities in Winton, Smith told councillors at a Southland District Council meeting this week.
“We have been meeting with sports clubs with the aim to develop a sports hub for Winton.
“While there is a lot to get your head around, the progress to date has been excellent. I believe there is a genuine desire to make this work.”
“We are not looking [for the clubs] to lose their identity, but we are looking to put everything under one roof to develop more funding.
“For example, the soccer club has been trying to build clubrooms to use but that’s going nowhere.
“We talked about it with the cricket club and athletics and all of a sudden I had three organisations that are keen on it.”
“The idea is to try and coordinate our services and get them under one roof and try and make more use of existing facilities.”
Smith said sports clubs were facing growing financial pressures through the likes of increased insurance costs, as well as maintenance.
“Since I’ve been on the community board, we are getting more and more applications coming from sports clubs about maintenance costs and facilities.”
Sport New Zealand has advocated in recent years for the implementation of more combined community sporting hubs.
There are many examples of it happening throughout the country where it has been deemed a community success, while also helping ease the financial burden attached to the traditional approach of having a lot of individual buildings.
Active Southland is leading the research and progression of potential sports hubs in Southland.
The Star Rugby Club, Old Boys Football Club, and Waverley Bowling Club are in the process of forming an independent board to further investigate developing a Waverley Hub in Invercargill.
Active Southland has also been working with the Oreti Community Board and clubs around the potential of the hub in Winton.
“I think long term we’ve got to do something with our sporting facilities in Winton and this is the start,” Smith said.
“We’ve had a couple of goes in the past at trying to amalgamate some of our facilities in Winton and it didn’t happen… I think now is the right time to take the next step and this is the next step.”