Saxton Field
Committee
Agenda – 27 February 2025
7 Reports
7.1
Saxton Field
Activity Report
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Report
To:
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Saxton
Field Committee
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Meeting
Date:
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27
February 2025
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Report
Author:
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Rob
Coleman, Reserves Officer - Recreation and Systems
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Report
Authorisers:
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Richard
Kirby, Group Manager - Community Infrastructure
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Report
Number:
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RSFC25-02-1
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1.1 The
purpose of this report is to provide the Saxton Field Committee with an update
on capital projects, events, and operational activities at Saxton Field.
1.2 It
is provided to ensure the Committee is kept up to date about developments,
activities, and issues at Saxton Field.
That the Saxton Field
Committee
1. receives the Saxton Field Activity Report, RSFC25-02-1.
3. Updates from last Committee
3.1 The following
actions were recorded
at the last meetings, with further
context provided in the table below:
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Meeting
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Action
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Notes
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5 Nov 2024
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Mr
Inwood to report back to the Committee regarding timeframes for NZ Cricket
and reprioritizing of budget, including required delivery timeframes for projects –
aligning projects with reprioritization of the budget
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Open
Further
discussion with Nelson Cricket and other
stakeholders underway
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6 Aug
2024
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Look into
providing a link to ‘Shape Nelson’ on
the Saxton Field website, for consultations
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Open
This has not been
added to the Saxton
Field website as links to both Nelson and Tasman consultation pages need to be added at the same time.
Relevant consultations will be added to
the page as required.
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6 Aug
2024
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Officers
to report back to the Committee on the existing processes in place for reporting accidents that
occur at Saxton Park and the Traffic Teams (both councils) findings and
recommendations related to traffic calming, use of bollards and road safety recommendations
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Open
See
details in operational activity section of this report
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1.
Inclusive Playground
4.1 Officers have engaged a local consultant to conduct the consultation phase of this project and provide the
Committee with a needs analysis and concept plan in readiness for the tender
process. Officers hope to report back
to the Committee with an initial concept for consultation in late June 2025.
Entrance Development
4.2 The project
is still awaiting
iwi input, and an update
can be provided when it is
available. It is unlikely that the full amount will be spent in 2024/25.
Saxton Stadium Renewals
4.3 The renewal
programme within the stadium will be managed
as budget allows.
4.4 Basketball
hoops are scheduled to be renewed in 2026/27 with budget for planning and
design and ensuring the costs are adequate this financial year. Nelson
Basketball Association has not yet been approached to discuss financial input.
4.5 Planning is
underway to discuss financial
input required from all codes at Saxton in a coordinated
way.
4.6 There
is budget to renew stadium lighting in 2025/26 by replacing the existing lights
with LED. It is recommended that the level of lux that the lights are replaced
with are the same as the lux levels recorded currently in the stadium. With a move away from fluorescent tubes
to LED lighting, it is expected there will be significant energy
savings in future years.
Saxton Pavilion Renewals
4.7 The
renewal programme within the stadium will be managed as budget allows. The screens in the changing
rooms are currently
being upgraded.
Saxton Oval Drainage
and Surface Renewal
4.8 Sports
Surface Design & Management (SSDM) has been engaged to review and update recent
reports and annual
Warrant of Fitness
(WOF) inspection data and provide an estimate on required upgrades.
4.9 At
the time of writing, funding is proposed to be brought back through the 2025/26 Annual
Plan to enable
the work to be carried
out in Autumn 2026.
General Development
4.10 The
general development budget for 2024/25 includes $16K that was budgeted in 2024/25 plus $106K that was carried
forward from 2023/24 from unspent budget for walkways
and savings in the general development project.
4.11 The following are being prioritised for use of this budget in 2024/25:
4.11.1 Investigation into Saxton Oval drainage and surface renewal
4.11.2 Improved access
to Avery Field via steps to field from the parking area
4.11.3 Any actions
following traffic assessment
4.11.4 Contribution towards
landscaping at Athletics/Archery corner
4.11.5 Other minor
development
Skate Park
4.12 The development of a communication and engagement plan has been completed and meetings underway with key
stakeholders including neighbouring property owners.
Saxton Culvert Upgrade
4.13 The
Saxton Culvert upgrade project is completed at Saxton Field. A path has been
installed to view the new headwall from including an interpretation panel. The poplars
have been removed
and natives planted. It has been handed over to Nelson
City Council for ongoing maintenance.
4.14 As
part of the project, discussions are underway between the two councils for Nelson City Council to purchase the land the culvert was built on and the maintenance
area in front of the culvert from Tasman District Council and re-classify it as
road reserve.
No. 2 Hockey
Turf Renewal
4.15 Minor repairs
have been carried
out to the existing WETT Pro Tiger
Turf which has enabled its continued use through until the planned
renewal time of 2026/27.
Media Tower
4.16 There
is $26K in the 2024/25 budget for media tower investigation. Nelson Cricket
sees this project as a priority, while also acknowledging the need to renew the
Oval outfield surface. Officers will continue working with Nelson Cricket as
part of the investigation and will update the Committee as to
any progress developments.
Bell Island Wastewater
4.17 There
is a future project to provide treated wastewater from Nelson Regional Sewerage
Business Unit (NRSBU) as water suitable for irrigation at Saxton
Field. An investigation was scheduled to be carried out this financial year to
determine the type and size of a storage facility, any further treatment
requirements, and the consenting requirements for the project. This will also
give an indication of cost for the work. $109,000 was spent in 2023/24 for water use at Saxton Field, so using treated
wastewater would reduce the
water cost to the facility and enable irrigation to continue in times of
drought.
4.18 Whether this investigation work progresses
or not, depends on whether the NRSBU can provide any budget
towards the investigation as the existing budget within Saxton Field is not sufficient to cover the quoted work.
Walkways
4.19 There
is a plan for continued walkway upgrades at Saxton Field, with budget in
alternate years. The walkways still requiring an upgrade are in the corner near athletics/archery, paths following desire
lines near the Saxton
Pond, a path between the roundabout at hockey and the athletics/cricket
pavilion, and paths linking the new developments at Harakeke Green.
4.20 There
is no budget in 2024/25 for this work, but budget is included in future years. While this is important upgrade work, it can be re-scheduled
if required, which is what is proposed for 2025/26 to make budget available for
the drainage renewal at Saxton Oval.
Annual Plan 2025/26
changes
4.21 Annual
Plans for 2025/26 are being prepared. The suggestions considered at the last Saxton
Field Committee meeting
are being proposed, including:
4.21.1 Bringing forward
the Saxton Oval Drainage and renewal line from
2029/30 ($288K)
4.21.2 Deferring the walkways line from 2025/26
($150K) one year
4.22 These
proposed changes are on Nelson City Council land so will have a capital impact on Nelson City Council
budgets and an operational impact on Tasman District Council budgets.
Nelson City Council Open Spaces Contract
5.1 Nelson
City Council has awarded its open spaces contract to Green by Nature. This includes the maintenance on the open spaces carried
out at Saxton Field.
5.2 The
new contract will begin on 1 July 2025 and there is no anticipated change to the level of service
or budget as a result
of the new contract.
5.3 The new contract is a measure
and value contract,
rather than the current
lump sum. This will give officers greater flexibility and agility with the
allocation of work under the contract.
New Stadium and Oval Management Contract
5.4 The new Saxton Venues
contract has been in place since 1 July 2024 and
the contractor is performing well. Very positive feedback was received in
relation to the venue management for the recent international cricket games.
5.5 The overall
cleanliness of the facility has improved with a new cleaning
schedule and sub-contractor.
5.6 The new contractor is planning on introducing Pickleball to the stadium.
Fees and Charges for 2025/26
5.7 Nelson
City Council fees and charges for activities on Nelson City Council land at Saxton Field
are set annually. Fees for 2025/26 are proposed to be
increased by CPI of 2.2%, with the following new fees introduced:
5.7.1 A hire fee for the Netball
Pavilion kitchen of $160 per day
5.7.2 A casual
fee per person for casual
hoop shooting at Saxton
Stadium when the facility is available of $5 per person
5.8 As these are new fees, they will need to be approved by Nelson City Council before being implemented.
5.9 An update about Tasman
District Council fee changes for 2025/26 can be
provided at the meeting.
Maintenance
5.10 Some of the key maintenance items
completed recently:
5.10.1 Summer sports
are underway and mid-season renovations are being carried out as needed
5.10.2 Pre-season checks
for winter sports have started
to prepare for the
change in codes
5.10.3 Additional cricket
maintenance and preparation for international and domestic games
Traffic Safety Assessment
5.11 A
traffic safety assessment has been carried out, following a Committee
discussion about safety
concerns at Saxton
Field. The assessment included a speed and traffic count and resulted in some
recommended actions.
5.12 The actions
included in the plan are summarised below:
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Action
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Response
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The link road
currently unnamed between Champion Road and Kerry Marshall Drive should be formally named
especially for emergency services and mapping purposes.
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To be
considered, relevant naming policies must be taken into account.
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Consider
repainting pavement markings, especially on speed humps and raised platforms
at Saxton Field Reserve, as they are faded and not clearly visible to
road users.
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Being quoted
and will be programmed as budget
allows
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Ensure that
the box culvert on Saxton Creek, located between the
Velodrome and Saxton Green, continues to
meet the 2014 HN HO 72 design
specifications for a gross
weight of up to 44 tonnes. Regular inspections should verify compliance with these standards to maintain safe access for heavy vehicles.
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Regular
bridge/culvert engineering inspections are already carried out and this
information will be provided to the assessor to ensure all relevant standards are considered in
the assessment.
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Regularly monitor
all entrances and exits at the Saxton Field Reserve
and consider future safety enhancements, including threshold treatments, to
create a safer environment for all types of road users.
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An ongoing
action for parks
and transport teams
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Evaluate the
feasibility of installing a pedestrian crossing facility on Main Road
Stoke, north of the Main Road Stoke-Kerry Marshall Drive
intersection. This would facilitate safer crossings for pedestrians and
cyclists, especially given the nearby bus stop.
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A Nelson City
Council transport responsibility. If this is prioritized, we will provide any updates to the Committee about
this crossing as they
are available.
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Install speed
humps on Kerry Marshall Drive near Saxton Creek and at the car park on the unnamed
road linking Champion Road and Kerry Marshall Drive, 125 m north of Champion
Road.
Additionally,
add raised platforms on the unnamed road where footpaths/cycleways cross.
These measures aim to reduce vehicle speeds and enhance safety for
pedestrians and cyclists.
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An action to
consider when budget is available, through future Long Term Plan
cycleways.
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Collect data
on pedestrian and cyclist traffic along Saxton Road East to understand usage
patterns and volumes, which will guide the design and placement of future
pedestrian crossing facilities.
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A NCC
transport responsibility. Any updates will be provided to the Committee about
this crossing as they are available
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Establish a
systematic crash recording process for Saxton Field Reserve to monitor
incidents over time. This data will provide valuable insights for future
safety improvements and allow targeted interventions in areas with frequent
accidents.
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Known
accidents and known near misses have been reported as service requests. If
incidents are happening at the time of the nightly security patrol, staff are
alerted to these, and they are recorded in a security report.
Monthly
health and safety reporting from contractors & reports on any known
accidents. Appropriate action can be taken if needed.
Contract
supervisors to remind contractors to record any known accidents and near
misses
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Carefully
assess the design and placement of bollards throughout Saxton Field Reserve,
particularly those in the centre of paths, to determine their necessity and
address significant safety concerns, as these structures pose potential
hazards to cyclists.
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One bollard
has been removed already. One is programmed for removal.
Other
bollards are programmed to have increased reflective tape to reduce hazards.
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5.13 Actions
are being costed and will be addressed as budget allows. Some will be addressed through the general
development budget and other larger items such as the table crossings will need to be considered through the next Long Term Plan process for specific allocated
budget.
Activity Management Plan
5.14 The
Saxton Field Activity Management Plan (AMP) was approved by the Committee at the last meeting. The AMP has since been approved by both
Councils and is now available on the Councils’ websites.
Lighting
5.15 Nelson Suburbs
Football spoke at the public forum of the last Committee
meeting in relation to lighting at Saxton Field.
5.16 Tasman Staff
met recently with Nelson Suburbs
Football and discussed the recent growth in female football, and it necessitates in
more floodlit sports fields for winter training.
5.17 Nelson
Suburbs Football needs to upgrade its existing lights to LEDs as bulbs can no
longer be sourced for the existing luminaires.
Their lighting poles are reportedly in good order
and so the Club is eager to retain them and retrofit if possible.
5.18 The
possibility of floodlighting Avery Field for female football and winter
training was discussed. The changing
rooms at the Avery Pavilion are used more for storage than actual changing
facilities. The velodrome is already floodlit
by LEDs, and there is a power
control box just outside the velodrome.
5.19 Staff will continue to work with the Club to obtain
further cost estimates and options.
5.20 Lighting is not currently
budgeted for. When updates are available, they will be provided to the Committee.
Avery Field
5.21 Officers are working with a contractor to determine appropriate access to Avery Field
from the new cycle path, via steps.
Softball and Baseball
5.22 There
is no further update from the last Committee meeting, but officers continue
working to improve the process for sharing the diamonds. Baseball uses the softball
diamonds and makes
bookings to do so. Sport Tasman has been approached to help
facilitate a session with the two codes so that an understanding can be reached
about how the softball diamonds can be shared between the users when needed.
5.23 Any further
updates can be provided at the meeting.
Website
5.24 There
is no update on the number of users accessing the website. Further updates can
be provided annually. A photo of the Committee for the webpage
is to be arranged.
Memorandum of Understanding – Saxton Stadium
5.25 It
has been recently brought to the attention of officers that there is a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
Nelson City Council
and some user groups
(basketball, volleyball and netball) in relation to Saxton
Stadium usage. There are inconsistencies between the understanding the Codes have about this MoU and the documented process that Council
has.
5.26 Given
the MoU expires in July 2025, it is considered that it would be a good time to review
the way that the relationship between these Codes and the Council is managed.
5.27 Officers
will provide further details to the next Committee meeting and will seek a decision
to either create
a new MoU or instead
make it clear
to all users that the details included in the old MoU is already covered
in the Reserve Management Plan for Saxton Field and the Contract for the
stadium management.
Signage at Indoor Cricket/Target Shooting
5.28 Nelson Cricket
is interested in installing sponsorship signage on the indoor
cricket/target shooting building
at Saxton Field.
This building is leased, and any decisions will need to be made in
line with the lease as well as the Saxton Field Reserve Management Plan.
5.29 Under
the Reserve Management Plan, section 3.4.2.1, ‘naming rights proposals and agreements for any facility
or service at Saxton Field
will be recommended by the
Saxton Field Committee and approved by the relevant Council.’
2.
5.30 As
a result, a report to a future Committee meeting will include the information required
for the committee to make a recommendation to the relevant
Council.
Events
5.31 Recently
held events:
5.31.1 3 November
2024 – Nelson Half
5.31.2 9-10 November
- Nelson Cricket 2day vs
Marlborough
5.31.3 19 November-22 November – CD Plunket
Shield
5.31.4 7-9 December
– Hawke Cup vs Canterbury Country
5.31.5 21 December
– Nyxons and Marlborough
5.31.6 2 January
– Black Caps vs Sri Lanka T20
5.31.7 4-6 January
– Central Districts T20 Super Smash Double Header
– Stags & Hinds
5.31.8 14-16 January
– Te Totara Volleyball
Camp
5.31.9 17-19 January
– Nelson Basketball Summer Camp
5.31.10 1 February –
RSE Volleyball Tournament
5.32 Upcoming large
events:
5.32.1 7 March - WHITEFERNS vs. Sri Lanka – 2nd ODI
5.32.2 9 March - WHITEFERNS vs. Sri Lanka – 3rd ODI
5.32.3 21 –
23 March - International Walking
Football Festival
5.32.4 4 April
2025 - Te Ipukarea – Regional sports day
5.32.5 6 April – Geraldine Hodgson Netball Tournament
5.32.6 26 April – International Tug of War
Nil
