Whanganui’s Laird Park netball court receiving safer new surface

The Laird Park netball courts are currently being resurfaced, with unveiling scheduled for December 1. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown

Resurfaced netball courts at Whanganui’s Laird Park will be unveiled next month.

It’s the first revamp of the courts since 2008, and similarly to the Cook’s Gardens track resurfacing, the execution is weather-dependent.

“Being in a typical spring, we’ve had cold, we’ve had rain and the surface needs to be warm and dry for the product to cure but we were expecting it and it was why we opted to do it at this time of the year,” Netball Whanganui’s centre manager, Robyn Walford, said.

The project started in late September and it is hoped the finished courts will be unveiled on December 1, with the Downer NZ Masters Games in February the venue’s next major event.

The plans for the resurfacing has been about four years in the making, president of Netball Whanganui and life member Mandy Gedye said.

The project is being led by Prestige Sports Surfaces' Rod Armstrong and is using a textured paint-like product that has sand granules to maximise grip.

Walford said the old surface was deemed unsafe.

“It had deteriorated, it had got really slippery - it’s well and truly overdue.”

Gedye, an active player, said she looked forward to regaining confidence in the court surface.

“For a non-contact sport [netball] can get rough, for us as adults especially, you’ve got to think about the fact you’ve got to go to work on Monday so you probably back off a little bit with the other surface.

“This has been a long time coming and I’m excited to see the courts go down and have people playing on it.”

Deteriorating and slippery: Two reasons behind the decision to refine and resurface the courts. PHOTO/NZME

Walford and Gedye are looking forward to unveiling the new courts on December 1 by hosting a juniors session, special guest netball game and afternoon tea.

“It’s an opportunity for the public to have a look and run-around,” Walford said.

Gedye and Walford are hoping the new courts will encourage more people to take part in the sport while also giving existing players more confidence.

“Hopefully it will entice more people to play but more importantly it will create more enjoyment of the game,” Walford said.

“As a coach you want your players to have confidence that they can go out there and play their game and not have to think about the surface they are playing on,” Gedye added.

Netball Whanganui registrations for the upcoming season open in April 2025.