LEP Stadium – Capital Works Update

AKH is excited to provide our stakeholders with an update on the development of capital works at Lloyd Elsmore Park Stadium. In 2022, following the challenges of the past two interrupted seasons, we are committed to resuming our Capital Works programme.

We are thrilled to announce we have secured over $600,000 in funding toward capital projects at Auckland Hockey Stadium, thanks to the generous support of NZCT ($200,000), Lottery Community Facility Fund ($250,000), Foundation North ($100,000), Pub Charity Ltd ($50,000) and Howick Local Board ($10,000)!

2022 will see concrete grandstand and bridge repairs, the opening of our newly refurbished commercial kitchen, the replacement of Turf One and upgrade to LED floodlights on LEP 1, with Turf 2 planned in 2023.

NZCT Chief Executive Mike Knell said “it’s great that funding for turf, floodlights and building work will see the Auckland Hockey Association operate their stadium well into the future whilst supporting the wider community. This is a significant project for hockey and sport in Auckland and we’re pleased we could play our part”.

During lockdown, the off-season and into April 2022 we have been able to utilise funding support from Pub Charity ltd. to refurbish the old kitchen at Lloyd Elsmore Park Stadium. Suffering from extensive fire damage over a decade ago, the kitchen and extraction system have required significant repairs and replacement.

AKH CEO Manoj Daji said “the level of funding support we have received from NZCT, Lottery Community Facilities Fund, Foundation North and Pub Charity is greatly appreciated and will make a significant and immediate difference to Auckland Hockey and our thousands of stakeholders! We can’t thank these generous funders enough for their support, it will have a meaningful impact for years to come”.

With Pub Charity’s investment into the kitchen we have been able to repair the extensive damage to the old kitchen and install new commercial appliances able to cope with the demand of the patronage. We have a vision to bring the kitchen back to a full commercial operation able to offer a much broader menu and options for events, tournaments and our regular season operations. Over the next few months we will be introducing a new menu and offerings over the weekends. We’re sure you’ll all appreciate the change!”.

Immediate priorities and work taking place at Auckland Hockey Stadium, Lloyd Elsmore Park have also been to ensure the structural integrity with the concrete bridge and grandstand. We have engaged various Seismic, Concrete and Structural experts to establish the condition and identify the repairs required.

Our Structural Engineers have finished their exploratory work into the bridge and grand stands which have been certified as structurally sound and safe with some future-proofing, drainage and cosmetic repairs due.

Remediation work will also begin shortly to the Grandstands and Bridge. We will need to fence off one half of each Grand Stand during each stage of the remedial work. This will take place during the season and will take a number of weeks to complete each section, with the aim to be finished before August.

Lloyd Elsmore Park Stadium’s Turf One and LED Floodlight upgrade replacement will take place toward the end of the year as weather and supply chains allow. We are currently working with both Tiger Turf and Polytan on proposals to be Auckland Hockey’s exclusive Turf Partner for Lloyd Elsmore Park and Colin Maiden Park.

Colin Maiden Park funding continues to be a challenge in the current environment, with costs continually escalating due to global impacts. We are engaging with key funders and are being considered in Auckland Council’s Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund for 2022/23, with hopes we will be able to begin the project in the 2022/23 construction window.

AKH General Manager, James Sutherland said “after an uncertain period with community funding over the past two years due to the pandemic, with the generous support of funding partners, it has been critical to secure the level of funding needed for these capital projects to take place in 2022 and we look forward to getting them underway”.