Donnelly Park netball court renewals brought forward

Published on November 25, 2022

The Donnelly Park, Levin netball courts will be resurfaced earlier than anticipated, with funding being brought forward to make the courts safer for all users.

Council has brought forward $400,000 of renewals funding from 2023/24 to 2022/23 to enable the resurfacing and refencing of the netball courts at Donnelly Park to take place earlier than scheduled, after Horowhenua Netball raised concerns that the current surface had deteriorated and become slippery, posing a health and safety risk to players.

The Donnelly Park netball courts were due for renewal work in 2023, but wear brought on by weather conditions and other factors meant the revitalisation is needed earlier than anticipated.

Mayor Bernie Wanden says, “The community are at the heart of every decision made by Council. The current state of the courts poses a safety risk and we don’t want to see anyone injured while enjoying our facilities. The application of replacement cycles is not an exact science, and parks facilities in particular are prone to local conditions brought on by use and weather. We want to ensure that all our assets are fit for purpose and provide positive experiences for our community.”

Aiming to establish a balance between not renewing assets too far in advance (which would have cost and efficiency implications), and ensuring these assets are still fit for purpose, Council maintains an asset database to identify renewals as they reach their due-by date.  On occasion, some assets need renewing sooner than anticipated. As there is provision in the 2023/24 Reserves Renewal budget to restore the playing surfaces at Donnelly Park, Council agreed to bring the funding forward during the Wednesday 23 November Council meeting.

The work is expected to be finished before the April 2023 netball season.

Thank you in advance for your patience while the courts are resurfaced and the area refenced.