Hakeke Community Centre and Library's Play Lab initiative utilises Williams Domain every week.
Williams Domain in Whanganui East is slowly transforming into a multi-purpose facility.
Fence posts have been installed around the perimeter by the Whanganui Football Charitable Trust, which has agreed on a lease with the Whanganui District Council.
The council is also collaborating with Sport Whanganui to install a half-basketball court.
Concrete has been laid for the court but the hoop and surface are yet to be installed.
Vehicles damaging the grass has been a long-running problem, with half the park covered in skids and donuts in April.
“We’ve got a long-standing relationship with the trust.
“It hasn’t always been plain sailing but we get there in the end.”
Hakeke Community Centre and Library, located across the road from the domain, will receive council funding for additional staff to enable longer opening hours.
Board member Din Bandara said the basketball court was “a long time coming” and he was pleased to see the progress.
“One thing we do at the centre is ‘Play Lab’, an after-school kids’ programme that connects with St Mary’s, Whanganui East School and the Oscar [Out of School Care and Recreation] programme at Love and Learn [daycare],” he said.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.