Ratepayers To Fund Cash Injection For Rangiora Stadium

Friday, 18 April 2025, 2:28 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

The future of Rangiora’s MainPower Stadium looks more secure after a cash injection from the Waimakariri District Council.

The council has agreed to enter into a new management agreement with the North Canterbury Sport and Recreation Trust, with the trust being paid $100,000 a year to manage the four-court stadium.

MainPower Stadium, which opened in 2021, cost the council $28 million to build.

The council entered into an agreement with the trust in 2019 to work together to establish the stadium, with the trust leasing the facility off the council and responsible running and maintenance costs.

But the stadium has been running at a loss of $80,000 to $100,000 a year due to Covid and the economic climate.

The council has sought to offset the losses by collecting 50 percent of the rent.

Trust chief executive Michael Sharp welcomed the new agreement.

‘‘It is amazing. The working relationship we have with the council is a really good partnership,’’ Mr Sharp said.

‘‘The stadium is really well supported. We have hundreds of people coming in each day and of all ages, whether it is to play pickleball, korfball, Silver Fitness, mini ball, basketball or netball.’’

While professional teams like the Crusaders and the Tactix paid standard commercial rates to use the facilities, the council has set community rates to ensure the stadium is affordable.

‘‘Without the council’s support for the running of the courts it wouldn’t be sustainable as we don’t set the rates,’’ Mr Sharp said.

Given the growth it may not be long until there are calls for an extension to an eight-court stadium, he said.

But that will be up to the council.

‘‘We would love to say to the council we need it tomorrow, but it is a matter of us reporting the numbers to the council and getting it into the next Long Term Plan.’’

The council’s community and recreation general manager Chris Brown said the stadium’s financial challenges were not unexpected.

‘‘We know that sports courts don’t make money and that is why ratepayers put in money to have those facilities,’’ Mr Brown said.

Under the new arrangement, the trust will continue to lease the fitness centre, cafe and Allied Health facilities.

But the four-court stadium and conference facilities will be part of the new management agreement, with the trust managing it on behalf of the council.

The council set aside an additional $100,000 a year in last year’s 2024/34 Long Term Plan in anticipation of the new agreement.

The trust runs fitness centres at Southbrook (Rangiora), Kaiapoi, Oxford and Amberley, as well as MainPower Stadium, and uses its profits to fund its various community programmes.

The programmes include sports in schools, mentoring coaches, a sports academy where it supports 10 young athletes, and the trust continues to fund the Green Prescription programme, which used to be funded by Te Whatu Ora Health NZ.

North Canterbury's energy network, MainPower, has naming rights for the stadium.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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