A new sports complex costing "at least" NZ$5M ($3.6M) is planned for Taranaki, New Zealand's footballers, "and other sports could also be involved," according to David Burroughs of STUFF. Central Football is "planning to build around 6 new fields and a football hub" on a 32-acre block at the corner of Airport Drive and State Highway 3, with construction starting as soon as '19. The privately-funded complex "would provide a base for grassroots and development football in the region with room for night games and a mid-week league," as well as being able to accommodate regional and national tournaments, Central Football CEO John McGifford and Taranaki board representative Brent Dodunski said. McGifford added, "As part of the due diligence process, we have already engaged with a number of codes that can see significant benefits in the green field's development." The project also "tied in with the Taranaki Regional Sports Facility strategy," which identified a "significant shortfall" for football in Taranaki. McGifford said that football clubs "would still be based at their various grounds around the region," although some had expressed an interest in moving into the new complex, "and they still expected Yarrow Stadium to host bigger games" such as Team Taranaki and int'l matches (STUFF, 9/6).
