The goalposts are in sight for completion of the $8 million Fraser Park redevelopment project.
Planning began this week for a July 20 formal opening of the redevelopment, which began in late 2022 and has resulted in two Heartland rugby seasons being played on club fields around the region while the park is out of action.
South Canterbury Rugby chief executive Tim Hyde-Smith said high-profile bookings for Fraser Park had already begun.
‘‘We’ve got the commitment from the Crusaders to be coming here and Mark Robinson from New Zealand Rugby is keen to put something in writing for us as well.
‘‘We’re working with the council at the moment to implement their booking system, so we can adapt to that as well. You’ll be able to book the field, book the clubrooms. It’s exciting.’’
When Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen stopped by the site on Monday, he was full of praise for the work completed so far.
He said the new sports facility would provide far more than just an economic boost to the region.
‘‘There of course is the very obvious economic enabling that you get from a facility like this, but more than that it’s around pathways; it’s about kids having opportunities on the big sports field, which is pretty exciting.
‘‘As far as the economics it’s going to bring more events, it’s going to bring a lot of activity that we couldn’t have before.
‘‘We now have a facility that the top sports teams will be able to play at and across many different codes. We can host from the Crusaders through to the All Whites.
‘‘You just have to have an imagination to what it can bring but we are very lucky for the amazing people in our community that have driven this project and supported it.’’
Amid the excitement about the upcoming opening of the park, project redevelopment manager Phillipa Guerin said a little more fundraising was required.
‘‘We are still seeking funds. We had a major funder decline our application and we only received part of another one.
‘‘We need about another $315,000 cash out of a public fundraiser.’’
Fraser Park trust chairman Brent Isbister said the extra money would be a massive help.
‘‘If we can get the $315,000 out of the public fundraisers and a little bit more out of a couple of grant organisations then we will be making a fairly decent hole in not having too many loans sitting around for the Fraser Park Community Trust to deal with,’’ Mr Isbister said.
‘‘We’ve got the ability to handle what we’ve committed to and we think it’s just going to end up being a really good facility for the community for lots of different things.’’
Mrs Guerin said it had been a massive team effort to get to where they were now and they were grateful for the support they had received.
‘‘I think it’s important for the community to understand it’s a very unique project. Yes, we’ve got significant funding from the council but apart from the bricks and mortar that we’re asking the community to help with, everything has been of a voluntary nature.
‘‘We’re immensely grateful to the Rooney Group, specifically Gary Rooney for the vision off the back of the Fraser Park Community Trust and what we are going to achieve. We are also very thankful for the great help received from the Timaru District Council and the great help from Thompson Engineering.”
Mr Bowen said the model of community-led projects was proving to be very successful in the district.
‘‘It is the model that can achieve a lot for communities. There is a lot of emphasis on council but I’m a believer that when the council steps out of the way and plays a support and partnership role you have a lot more success.”‘‘It is the model that can achieve a lot for communities. There is a lot of emphasis on council but I’m a believer that when the council steps out of the way and plays a support and partnership role you have a lot more success.”
