A new turf-surface, at a cost of $330,000, has been laid at the Mid Canterbury Hockey turf in the Ashburton Domain.
It’s a significant investment by the Ashburton Sports Turf Trust into the future of hockey in the region.
And the second stage of the facility’s upgrade.
Last year, turf lighting was replaced at a cost of $140,000, to significantly improve visibility for players, officials and spectators alike.
Mid Canterbury Hockey operations manager Mel Doyle said the latest project and its funding had been years in the planning and included support from the local hockey community and sponsors.
‘‘Funding has come from rental income paid by Mid Canterbury Hockey, turf levies contributed by clubs over many seasons, turf sponsorships, and significant grants from the Lion Foundation and the Bobby Foundation,’’ she said.
There was also ‘‘incredible support’’ from local sponsors, many of whom committed to paying three years of sponsorship upfront to ensure the project could proceed, she said.
The previous turf, which had been in place for 14 seasons, was considered at the end of its life for most hockey turfs.
‘‘The replacement ensures Mid Canterbury players will continue to have access to a high-quality playing surface for years to come,’’ she said.
The work, being carried out by Polytan, started with the uplift and removal on Saturday last week.
The first season’s games of Year 5 and 6 Midlands Kiwi Sticks on the turf were scheduled for today.
The Ashburton Sports Turf Trust was now looking ahead to future-proofing the facility even further by investigating equipment options to ensure the new turf receives the best possible maintenance going forward, Doyle said.
She said Mid Canterbury Hockey was thankful to the businesses and individuals who had helped bring the project together, including Quigley Contracting and Rural Transport for assisting with transporting the turf, Gary McCormick for supplying skip bins, James and Zoe Tavendale for providing accommodation for Polytan staff, and ElectraServe for supplying labour throughout the project.
