Creating the best regional stadium in New Zealand is a major project. See below for the frequently asked questions.
The West Stand reopened in September 2022. Last year also the completion of upgrades to the main pitch and new LED lighting installed as well.
The East Stand is a different project altogether as we’re replacing the old stand with a new one. Demolition was finished at the end of 2021 and below ground civil works have been completed. We expect the new stand to be open to users for the 2025 winter sports season.
Cost pressures and supply chain issues have increased the cost to build the East Stand.
Additionally, the scope has changed as previously the TSB Stand was going to be repaired but that wasn’t possible because of poor ground conditions and insufficient foundation strength. That’s meant additional costs such as demolishing the TSB Stand, redesigning and building a new stand.
The budget for the stadium redevelopment has moved from $70m to $79.7m.
While the budget has increased, the total contributed by ratepayers remains under the $50m approved in 2019 as part of an extensive public consultation and engagement process.
The Council secured $30 million in funding from the Government's Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG) programme which has limited the impact of rising construction costs on ratepayers
The Yarrow Stadium targeted rate is not changing.
The redeveloped Yarrow Stadium will feature:
- A repaired West Stand with a new roof.
- A redesigned and rebuilt East Stand with more space for events such as conferences and trade exhibitions, and flexible and scalable seating capacity. The aim is for capacity at top-level sporting fixtures to at least equal to that of the old stadium.
- East Stand facilities (toilets, showers, changing rooms, food and beverage areas) available to users of the outer fields without needing to open up the entire stand or stadium.
- East Stand is closer to the pitch, creating a more intimate viewing experience.
- A new, more resilient hybrid main pitch that will last longer than natural turf and take less time to recover after fixtures, boosting access to the community.
- Brighter and more energy efficient LED lighting for the main pitch, replacing the old lighting which was beyond the end of its life.
- The best regional stadium in New Zealand that regularly hosts local, regional, national, and international sports and entertainment events.
- A stadium for both major events and community events and the premier outdoor fields for team sports codes.
- A stadium that is loved by sports fans and the local community.
- A stadium that is a quality experience for event promoters, participants and spectators, which is achieved through superior hospitality and event facilities, efficient and effective management, accessibility, flexibility and innovation.
This vision statement was amended in October 2020 to affirm the Stadium’s usefulness for local events alongside regional, national and international events, sporting or non-sporting.
We spent a long time talking to our community before starting the project and there was strong support to get the Stadium back open. Taranaki folk love their sport and deserve to watch their team in a first-class stadium. When finished the stadium will once again be a premier regional sports ground with the capacity to attract big sports events and a fantastic venue for a range of sports.
Rugby remains the No.1 sport in the region with Taranaki having the nation’s highest rugby engagement rate of any region in New Zealand. Without it, the region would struggle to maintain a facility like this and rugby will be the Stadium’s major rent-paying tenant.
It’s worth remembering that research(external link) by Berl found that the Yarrow Stadium boosted the Taranaki economy by $100m between 2003 and 2017. This of course came from rugby including a number of top nights when the All Blacks came to Taranaki but also NRL league games, FIFA Under-20 World Cup and Phoenix football matches and motorsport events.
We think there’s room for a range of high quality sports venues across our region. Yarrow Stadium will be the premier regional sports venue while the Multi-Sport Hub planned for Pukekura Raceway will provide a home for community level sports.
Both projects will be complementary to each other and help boost the opportunities for Taranaki people to watch and take part in sport, which we think is a good thing for our community. Both projects are also in regular dialogue to ensure no duplication and the very best outcome for the Taranaki region
The ‘East Stand, West Stand’ names have been adopted for the redevelopment project to give external contractors and consultants clarity, as some will not be familiar with the venue.
You would have known the East Stand as the TSB Stand, and the West Stand as the Noel and Melva Yarrow Stand.
We had originally sought feedback from our community on repairing the TSB Stand but we had to make the decision to demolish and rebuild instead of repair because of complications, including poor ground conditions, the integration of the old grandstand structure and insufficient foundation strength.
We think it’ll be amazing. There’ll be more space for events such as conferences and trade exhibitions, and flexible and scalable seating capacity. Its facilities (toilets, showers, changing rooms, food and beverage areas) will also be available to users of the outer fields without needing to open up the entire stand or stadium. The stand will be closer to the main pitch as well, giving vistors a more intimate viewing experience.
We working closely with iwi partners Ngāti Te Whiti on the design aspects of the new stand. This is helping to make the stand special and unique to Taranaki.