Hoop, hoop, hurray for new Petane basketball court

The new court and hoop at Petane Domain gets its first big workout. Photo / Warren Buckland

The balls were flying and it was hoop-shoots galore as a new outdoor basketball court was given the ceremonial mayoral opening treatment at Petane Domain, between Westshore and Bay View.

Held on Tuesday, it was the formal high-five for Bay View’s Lisa Clark, who successfully applied to the Napier Mayoral Relief Fund for $25,000 to build the court.

“I’m so excited by this,” she said after sharing the ribbon-cutting duties with Mayor Kirsten Wise. “We have had a hard time, and it’s great to have something positive happen.”

Youngsters of Bay View and Westshore are having a ball at the new Petane Domain basketball court that was officially opened on Tuesday. Photo / Warren Buckland

Wise said other courts provided and maintained by the council are “very popular”, so providing one for the area in the northern fringes of the city was “one way council is able to give back to people who are working hard to keep their community connected”.

The 10-hectare Domain is home to many sporting codes, such as rugby, football, bowls and tennis, and following Cyclone Gabrielle in February the Domain and clubrooms became home for Eskdale School for about two months.

Over the past year Napier City Council has installed a new cricket pitch at the Domain and the carpark there is due for an upgrade.