With just $30,000 left to raise, the South Canterbury Hockey Turf Trust green-lit the project, and on Tuesday Polytan contractors began stripping off the ageing turf, which was originally installed in the 1990s and upgraded about 15 years ago to become a wetdressed turf.
It had deteriorated over the years and was becoming increasingly slippery in damp conditions, causing players to slip and fall.
Senior players would not play on it, and the South Canterbury Hockey Turf Trust deemed it a health and safety hazard.
Once the project is complete, Timaru will boast two international-standard water turfs, and has been chosen to host the U18 national men’s hockey championships in July 2025.
The championship is the second-highest high-performance tournament in New Zealand, involving 20 to 24 teams and usually held in metropolitan centres.
Trustee and project liaison Ben Grant said the trust was a lot closer to the fundraising target than it thought it would be at this point.
"It was risky taking on a project while rugby was doing their thing [the Fraser Park redevelopment].
"When we kicked it off, in terms of what our dream was, we thought we’d have to borrow money from the Timaru District Council to sign it off."
Trust chairwoman Anne-Marie McRae said the support from the community had been outstanding, given the current economic climate, and all the corporate signage had been sold.
"We’re not quite there, but we know we can get there by March."
Funds raised to date included $150,000 from Trust Aoraki, $75,000 from the Community Trust of Mid and South Canterbury, $50,000 from Pub Charity and $150,000 from the Timaru District Council, as part of the wider Aorangi Park upgrade.
Mr Grant said given Trust Aoraki’s long-term support of the project, the upgraded facility would be named the Trust Aoraki Hockey Centre.
Trustee Mark Caldwell said the trust hoped that people would be keen to donate now the project had begun, with the chance to be included in the honours board of donors.
"Every little bit helps."
After the old turf and shock pad is removed, contractor Fulton Hogan will dig the trenches required for irrigation, and level out the surface before laying porous asphalt, which will cure for three to four weeks over Christmas.
Local business Hadlee and Brunton will be responsible for the irrigation, and when the surface is ready, German-based company Polytan will lay the new shock pad and turf surface.
As much of the old turf and shock pad as possible is being sold for re-use around the district, at schools, private tennis courts and pools, and even for bus shelters.
The three dug-outs are to be moved to Fraser Park, and will be replaced with an international-standard dug-out on the opposite side of the turf, along with an international-grade scoreboard and all-new signage.
