By Jake Beleski
Bring it to Colombo project manager David Borman is optimistic that the building of Masterton’s new netball facilities will progress as scheduled.
Mr Borman, director of Venture Consulting Limited, said the work being done behind the scenes was leading towards a positive outcome, with building scheduled to commence in January 2017.
“The job will not start unless all funding is in place. I can only speak for myself, but I am quietly confident that with the hard work that’s been done, the job will proceed on schedule.”
The new facilities will feature a new two-storey clubhouse in a new location, three covered courts and nine resealed uncovered courts. The $2.2 million project will involve removing the present clubrooms to make room for another court and the construction of a new building on the northern side.
The redevelopment had been put off for too long, he said.
“Netball has been put to the side for a number of years. At the moment the clubrooms are inadequate and toilet facilities are unsafe – it is one of those projects that needed to happen.”
Netball continues to grow in the Wairarapa region, with the number of teams in the annual winter competition rising from 119 in 2012, to 145 this year.
Mr Borman said it was an easy decision to join the project, and was full of praise for the community and the Bring it to Colombo Trust for their work to-date in raising around $1.3 million towards the project.
“I met the team that was involved and could see the passion they had. We are getting a lot of support from local suppliers and sub-contractors, and also via donations.”
The project has secured a building permit, and they were working with contractors to make as many savings as possible, he said.
Trustee Annelise Scott said keeping to schedule would hinge on one vital decision, to be made in December.
“Over the last two or three months the trust has been purely focussing on fundraising grants. The biggest one is obviously with the Lotteries Commission which we submitted at the end of August – that will get determined in December.”
Fundraising would continue until the grant decision was announced.
“At the moment community members can purchase a paling for $50 and get their name engraved on it,” she said.
“All the palings will be displayed up the ramp way, staircase and café viewing deck – it gives people a chance to put a personal touch on the facility as well.”
People would soon be able to experience a number of features on the project’s website, she said.
“We have just done a virtual fly-through video of the facility as well which will be on our website shortly. It will give people a chance to see what it will look like to walk through the doors and through the café and all the other facilities. It should make it feel a bit more real compared to the photos.”
