$1.3 million redevelopment of Westbrook Netball Courts completed ahead of schedule

The $1.3 million redevelopment of the Westbrook complex is complete. Photo / Supplied

Brand new goal posts adorning the Westbrook Netball Courts are the finishing touches on the $1.3 million redevelopment completed this week.

Work on the last eight courts began in February and was expected to be completed at the end of this month for the start of the 2019 season.

But with a special sporting surface, Rebound Ace added to the courts, Netball Rotorua secretary Mary Thompson is nervously hoping the public will help maintain them.

Netball Rotorua secretary Mary Thompson hopes people respect the new courts and stay off the green. Photo / File

The cushioned hard court made up of polyurethane rubber, fibreglass and other materials, is laid on top of the concrete and can be susceptible to holes.

Thompson said, "If it gets a hole into the surface, the water gets in and then the water goes underneath the surface and ruins it".

"Our biggest thing is we have to tell those people on bikes they are not allowed to ride through there.

"We can educate our players and members but it is the public we need to educate."

Vehicles, bikes, scooters, skateboards, high heels and umbrella tips can all cause problems for the fresh surface.

Work began on the second stage of the Westbrook Netball courts in early February by applying the specialised surface, Rebound Ace. Photo / File.

But it is not all bad, because although the public is advised to stay off the green, the red area of the court can be used.

"The green is actually the courts they are playing on which has been Rebound Aced and the red is the spectator area meaning it hasn't got the proper rubberised surface under it, it is just ordinary," Thompson said.

The courts needed repairs since the first stage of the redevelopment was completed in 2018.

She said although it was repaired successfully, that was not something she wanted to continue doing.

Jessie Wharekura takes a shot at the opening of the refurbished netball courts at the Westbrook complex in March last year. Photo / File

The netball courts were finished ahead of schedule and teams are already practising on them ahead of the season beginning on April 6.

One Foundation, Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust and the New Zealand Community Trust contributed to costs alongside Rotorua Lakes Council which contributed $570,000 to extend the footprint of the facility and upgrade drainage.

The remaining costs were covered by grants from trusts and organisations and fundraising by Netball Rotorua.

The development was a result of a submission to the 2012-2022 Long-term Plan.

Sport and Recreation Portfolio lead, councillor Charles Sturt, previously said upgrading the netball facilities would be a great improvement for a large sector of the sporting community