Paeroa Domain is set to receive cost-effective LEDs to light its fields and netball courts, though it depends on the council finding $50,700 in external funding.

Hauraki District Council decided to install the new lights, fronting up $100,000, while Sport Waikato agreed in principle to supply $50,000 on the proviso that the remaining funding was secured.

Mayor Toby Adams said the current lights were “hugely expensive to run” and had “been there a long time”. Adding new LEDs would be far cheaper in the long term.

“To run and operate with new LEDs, you can just turn them on and off with your phone. They’re better lights [and] they come on instantly rather than needing to warm up, so in the long run it ends up being cost-neutral.”

Hauraki Mayor Toby Adams says the change is a long-term win. Photo / Kelly Hodel, Waikato Times

According to a council report, the age and condition of the current lights meant there was a “growing risk” they could become unstable, affecting evening sports training and events.

The project was originally slated to be completed in the 2024-25 financial year, with an initial budget of $200,000, before being deferred to 2026-27 and the budget halved.

Adams said he was confident that external funding would be found to cover the shortfall.

“We just made a resolution to go and seek some external funding, so we’ll just go out to the normal ones and see what we can gather up, so touch wood, we’ll get some good feedback from that.

“When you’re applying for something that’s going to have many people benefiting from it, those funding groups tend to look far greater than if it was just for a one-off thing, so something that’s going to last the test of time and benefit such a wide range of the community, you’d hope that would attract some funding.”

Sport Waikato chief executive Matthew Cooper welcomes the investment. Photo / Mark Taylor, Waikato Times

Sport Waikato chief executive Matthew Cooper said the group’s $50,000 investment came down to “optimisation”.

Receiving a share from Sport New Zealand’s Spaces and Places fund made the upgrade possible.

Asked why Sport Waikato committed funding only if another external party was found, Cooper said the decision was based on the discussions the council still needed to have within its community.

Paeroa Domain contains two fields, where football, rugby union and league is played. Photo / Google Maps

“What we’re doing there is trying to work with our council, like we have with the others, just to contribute and make sure... they’ve discussed it and agreed. It’s landed on a good decision, and these decisions are not easy these days.”

The report also noted that a condition of the Sport Waikato funding was that the council must “provide evidence of increased participation outcomes for rangitahi being met through this project”.

Cooper added that better and more affordable lighting would allow more opportunities, especially for young people, to engage in sport and recreation.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.