Hamilton’s home of netball Minogue Park set for a major upgrade

Hamilton’s home of netball will receive a new rubberised surface for its playing courts as it begins a $3 million upgrade later this month.

The work, set to begin on October 21, will also increase the number of courts at Minogue Park in Forest Lake from 18 to 21.

New drainage will also be installed and the courts will be ready for use in March.

The project is a partnership involving Hamilton City Council, through its 10-year plan renewals programme, Hamilton City Netball Centre and Trust Waikato.

During the playing season, the Hamilton City Netball Centre hosts 270 games per week played by more than 5000 participants.

Other work included in the project will be the creation of a storage area for equipment, plus the refurbishment of toilets and changing rooms.

The council’s parks and recreation manager Maria Barrie said the project was the result of two years of planning and discussions between council staff and Hamilton City Netball Centre representatives.

“For projects of this kind, working with our stakeholders is vital,” she said.

“The Council has a key role to play in providing sports facilities for our community and being able to liaise directly with sporting bodies allows us to meet their needs as their codes grow.”

Hamilton City Netball Centre chairman David Bluett said the renovation meant there was a modern facility to support grassroots netball in the greater Hamilton area.

“We are very appreciative of the support from Trust Waikato to assist us to improve this long-term community asset.”

Bluett said the board was excited to be able to offer the netball community a safe and modern playing surface and upgraded amenities to take netball into the future – particularly with an expected surge in popularity at junior level following the Silver Ferns 2019 Netball World Cup victory.

The netball community will be consulted on the two colour options available for the Rebound Ace surfaces – blue courts with green surrounds, or green courts with blue surrounds. Read More