Work Starts Soon on Cricket Practice Facility

The first of two contracts has been let for the development of a cricket practice facility at Pukekura Park.

Work will start in early March on developing the earthworks platform for the net structure. This involves digging out and removing the existing soil, installing drainage and irrigation sprinklers, and laying a new base and clay surface.

The project will be finished by the end of April.

“It will be great to see this facility start to take shape,” says Manager Parks Mark Bruhn.

“Any groundsman will tell you that a good subsurface is critical to the success of a playing surface. The ground works of this project are specific to the site – and while Whitaker Civil Engineering Ltd is developing the subsurface, our own Pukekura Park groundsman will develop and manage the turf itself so that it matches the conditions on the sportsground.”

The second contract is for the construction of the cricket practice nets, the design of which is still being finalised.

Once work starts, Whitaker workers will be on-site Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.00pm, and on Saturdays from 8.00am to noon.

“There will be digger and truck movements on these days so we ask people to drive with care on Fillis Street during the construction period,” says Mr Bruhn.