Athletic Park facilities

The Marlborough Smallbore Rifle Association (MSRA) requests that Council develops a long-term strategy for the facilities at Athletic Park, including the need for additional storage, a communal clubroom facility, public toilets, and improved car parking and access. We are aware that Cycling Marlborough are looking for a clubroom/storage/training facility.

This submission is complementary to the MSRA submission regarding improved or new rifle range facilities.  Depending on the outcome of that submission, it may be that there is opportunity for other Athletic Park facilities to be combined with an improved rifle range facility, or in the event that the Rifle clubs are relocated, that the rifle range building may be able to be repurposed for use by other codes.

Athletic Park is used by Athletics, Children’s Athletics, Cycling, Football, and Smallbore Target Rifle shooting.  It is also used by many Marlborough schools for their Athletic Sports.

Despite this there are no clubroom facilities which can be used during, and after events.  The only facility available is the Rifle clubrooms, above the Rifle range, which are occasionally used by the other codes.

The only public toilet facilities are the very basic ones in the grandstand, shared between the public and competitors.  While one is designated as wheelchair accessible, it barely complies with requirements.

The car park area is reportedly to be redeveloped and sealed, however there has been no indication of progress. In winter the grassed area becomes muddy, with cars occasionally becoming stuck.  The lack of marked parks results in random parking patterns, and means that sometimes cars become parked in, and time is spent finding drivers to move vehicles, creating friction between codes.

It is worth noting that sealing the whole car parking area was included in the Blenheim Borough Council Athletic Park Management Plan in 1982, but was never actioned.

For a park where so many activities take place, the lack of these basic facilities, and a future plan is a shortcoming which needs to be addressed.