Taranaki contractor to undertake repairs on Yarrow Stadium's West Stand

New Plymouth-based Clelands Construction has won the contract to repair the West Stand at Yarrow Stadium, with work set to begin almost immediately.

Clelands anticipates deploying 10 staff and 20 subcontractors on this first stage of the wider Yarrow Stadium repair and refurbishment project. It is also expanding its apprenticeship programme with two newcomers.

David MacLeod, Chair of Stadium owner Taranaki Regional Council, sees this as a great outcome for the region, advising "we’re delighted to see work getting under way with locals at the helm, and very grateful for the Government’s $20 million ‘shovel-ready’ contribution to the total project budget of $50 million."

The Stadium’s grandstands were declared earthquake-prone in 2017 and 2018, and closed to the public. The West Stand is being repaired and the East Stand is being demolished and replaced with a new Stadium designed to offer more flexibility and scalability to suit post-COVID needs. Essential refurbishments of the main pitch and lighting are also being carried out. More contracts for this will be let in 2021.

The Council’s vision is for 'Yarrow Stadium Plus' to be the best regional stadium in New Zealand regularly hosting local, regional, national and international sports and entertainment events.

The project is one of the first in the country to get under way with funding under the New Zealand Government’s ‘shovel-ready’ programme to stimulate the economy in the wake of COVID-19.