Polytan all-weather multi-sport turf now open at Queenstown Events Centre

A new multi-sport all-weather turf is now open at Queenstown Events Centre, providing a much-needed facility for the local sporting community.

The full-size turf built by Polytan - who have delivered Olympic-quality artificial sports turfs across the world  - is funded as part of the 2020-2021 Annual Plan, and will be used for football, futsal, hockey, bootcamps and other fitness activities.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) General Manager Community Services Thunes Cloete said the turf could be used in wet or dry conditions and would provide a welcome addition for athletes and sports enthusiasts across the district.

Cloete notes “the new facility will serve the booming local demand for sports, such as hockey and football, and will continue to serve the sporting community for years to come. It’s an important milestone in our vision to get more people, more active, more often. I’m looking forward to watching the sporting community grow.”

Wakatipu Hockey Club Vice President, Marty James, welcomes the new facility and is proud the club can now call this facility home commenting “It is great to see the turf finally completed after a number of years of planning. This means that the Wakatipu Hockey Club members have somewhere to hold effective practices, which will make a big difference to our club.

“Its location and visibility to the general public will help increase participation and awareness for our sport, and we look forward to introducing new members to our club as it grows. In time we expect that we will be able to host competition games in Queenstown which has never happened for us before.”

Philip Ingham, President of Queenstown AFC, says that the all-weather turf is a step in the right direction for community sport and gives a great option for football players when other grounds become unplayable.

Ingham adds “this first all-weather turf of any kind at Queenstown Events Centre is a great step forward! Whilst it is not a football turf, it will be invaluable to the Queenstown Football Club in that it will provide a surface for our teams to use for training when the grass pitches are not available.

First off the ranks will be a Twilight Hockey League starting on Tuesday 2nd November. For more information and to book the turf visit qldc.govt.nz/recreation.

For further information about Polytan, click here to visit their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Image top: Opening of new facility; image above: New all-weather turf with a back-drop of the Remarkables.