Marlborough’s Millennium Stadium was a controversial project, but ever since the Stadium opened in 2000 it has gained huge popularity within the community and has been lauded as one of the best community sporting facilities in the country.

The Marlborough Lines Stadium is a sports and events centre which comprises of a commercial health and fitness centre, a swimming pool and an indoor stadium.  The Stadium is managed by the Marlborough Stadium Trust, which owns all the facilities except the swimming pool, which is leased from the Marlborough District Council.

Planning for the Stadium took nearly two years of near full time effort by volunteers throughout the community, who had to raise the funds as well as ‘sell’ the project to the Marlborough community.

Stadium Manager Paul Tredinnick, who has managed the Stadium since opening, says some members of the community were concerned about the initial capital investment needed to get the Stadium off the ground.

“It was a massive undertaking but since the Stadium has opened we have not had one negative comment.  It’s a fantastic facility,” says Paul.

Funding for the Stadium came by way of a grant from the Marlborough District Council, community fundraising and sponsorship.  Significant support came from Anchor (which initially held naming rights over the Stadium), the Canterbury Community Trust, the Redwood Trust and new naming rights sponsor Marlborough Lines.

In 2000 the Marlborough Stadium Trust won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Marlborough Community Awards and went on to represent the region at the first ever TrustPower National Community Awards.

Since then, the Stadium has continued to grow and succeed. 

The Stadium has implemented a number of community programmes, including the Fundamental Skills Programme.  The Programme, which aims to teach children to live an active lifestyle, is a week long course where primary school age children learn to swim as well as a range of other sports skills.  The Programme involves around 2,500 primary school age children and has received national acclaim, winning an award for the Most Outstanding Recreation Programme in 2005 from the New Zealand Recreation Association.

Another achievement the Stadium is very proud of is its strong financial management.

“Since opening we have traded in the black every year.  Any rising costs have been absorbed by the Trust and the Marlborough District Council subsidy is still at the same level it was when the Stadium opened.  That is a huge achievement,” says Paul.

The Stadium Trust has also kept admission charges as low as possible, with its pool charges amongst some of the lowest in the country.

To the Trust, however, the success of the facility is not just measured in dollars and cents, but in its use.

“We consistently have over half a million visits a year and have held a full spectrum of events at the Stadium, including the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and international netball and basketball.

“But mostly the basis of the Stadium is our regular local users, ranging from newborns to elderly people in their 90s.  To see the community using and enjoying the facility is our real success,” says Paul.

Paul says winning the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Marlborough Community Awards gave the Trust a sense of credibility to what they were doing.

“There are too few opportunities for community organisations to be recognised for what they do and too often communities take those groups for granted.  The TrustPower Community Awards give the community a chance to see what is going on in their own back yard and give voluntary groups some much deserved recognition.”

Paul says attending the TrustPower National Community Awards resulted in the Trust achieving national awareness.

“Seeing what other groups and organisations around the country were doing was very affirming.  The Trust has been stimulated and encouraged by what amazing work volunteers are doing in other parts of the country.”

The Marlborough Lines Stadium is now recognised as one of the leading facilities of its kind in the country, and thanks to the Marlborough Stadium Trust we can be sure that the Stadium will be catering to the needs of the Marlborough community for many years to come.

For more information about the Marlborough Lines Stadium contact Paul Tredinnick on 03 577 8300.

Fun Over Fifties - exercising in the pool!

Marlborough kids get busy playing basketball at the Marlborough Lines Stadium.

Wheelchair basketball - another sport the Stadium provides for.

The Marlborough Stadium is also used to host functions, such as balls, awards evenings and corporate dinners.