Capacity for community football and cricket is set to grow in Auckland, thanks to an allocation of $2.5 million from Auckland Council’s Fix and Finish fund to the Ōrākei Local Board.
The funding will be used alongside local board budget to develop Thomas Bloodworth Park and Shore Road East Reserve in Remuera, resulting in new weather resilient football fields and new cricket blocks.
These sports field developments strive to lessen the current pressure on Auckland’s football and cricket field network, which is especially important with the potential reallocation of two fields at Colin Maiden Park to Auckland Cricket.
The increase in facilities also aims to enhance youth, women’s, Māori and Pacific people's sport participation. The developments align closely with both the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023 and wider council strategies.
Former international cricketer Emily Drumm joined forces with the Ōrākei Local Board to advocate for this funding.
“The girls and women’s space has taken off over the last three or four years. The pathway that girls need to come through, it all starts at that community level,” Emily said.
“The growth is just going through the roof, the demand, the expectation, and the Ōrākei Local Board has recognised that. We can turn these grounds into a fantastic facility, and not just [for] one sport, but multi-sport, and give it the right attention that it needs so that everybody can enjoy it in the community.”
The proposed development for the two parks is:
Thomas Bloodworth Park
- Construction of two new full-sized, sand carpet, irrigated, and lit football fields.
- Installation of a new cricket block and youth-sized playing fields.
- Field elevation and modern drainage systems to reduce flooding and damage to the fields during winter.
Shore Road East Reserve
- Development of currently unused land into a dedicated cricket block.
- Construction of dedicated football training fields to support club and regional use.
The development of Thomas Bloodworth Park is now fully funded with the addition of the Fix and Finish funding, while Shore Road East Reserve Development will still require some additional budget. The works for Thomas Bloodworth Park are due to be completed in 2028.
Sports field construction in Ōrākei is one of thirteen local board projects across Auckland and Manukau that will be fixed or finished as part of the $20 million Fix and Finish funding boost championed by Mayor Wayne Brown through his Mayoral Proposal.
Read more about these projects and the Fix and Finish Fund.
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