Nelson City Council

What is Nelson City Council doing to prepare for RWC 2011?

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Dedicated RWC 2011 Project Manager for Host City Nelson appointed September 2009

An internal staff project team is in place to handle every aspect of match delivery, team hosting (TBC), festivals and Fan Zones, with the guidance of a full-time project manager to coordinate cross-Council efforts.

Dedicated Nelson RWC Steering Group for community coordination

Find out more about Nelson's RWC 2011 Steering Group.

Trafalgar Park

Trafalgar Park lies at the natural gateway to the city, between the coastline and Nelson's central business district. Improvements to the Park are ongoing through 2010 and include:

• Turf replacement with recycled glass sand  - completed February 2010; turf is growing and the first game is set for 21 August
• Sports lighting - installation of broadcast quality lighting for the Park; completed June 2010
• Park entry and toilets upgrade - existing entrances will be replaced and incorporated into new structures that include toilet blocks, due for completion July 2010
• Park Pavilion - minor upgrades to changing facilities to be completed by June 2010
• Media facility - construction works underway, projected completion August 2010
• Northern embankment - shaping and seeding completed, completed June 2010
• Landscaping and fencing - to include paths and planted areas, projected completion by July 2010 with ongoing landscaping into Spring 2010
• New scoreboard - in hand, installation completed June 2010

Saxton Field

Nelson Tasman's major outdoor sports venue will be the key training venue for visiting RWC 2011 teams. It is a base for many sports including athletics, hockey, basketball, cricket, soccer, netball and softball. Developments at Saxton Field include:

• Multisport complex - opened 22 October 2009
• Athletics track - construction completed
• Cricket field, hockey field and soccer fields - construction completed

Heart of Nelson Strategy

As part of the Heart of Nelson Strategy that aims to create a vibrant, liveable, attractive Nelson city centre for residents and visitors, the following key projects are expected to be completed in time for RWC 2011:

• Connecting the Maitai River to the coast by widening into a shared pathway the Maitai walkway from Trafalgar Street, initially down to the pedestrian footbridge in Rutherford Park for the RWC
• Major improvements in signage around the city
  • pointing to areas of interest to visitors (such as the Centre of New Zealand, the Nelson Provincial Museum, and the Suter Gallery)
  • identifying key heritage and cultural sites within the city to ensure these are well signposted and linked for pedestrians undertaking heritage walks
  • developing a central city wayfinding theme to notify people where they are and how far they are between key CBD locations
  • improving the pedestrian linkages to the Church Steps
• Eastern end of Montgomery Square is to be converted into a user-friendly, multi-purpose inner-city pocket park designed for families and young children.
• Bank Lane connection through to Trafalgar Street is to be upgraded and the paved areas each side of the mid-block crossing on Trafalgar Street redesigned will have more seating and resting places.
• Build gateways to the city including landscaping, sculpture, signage and improved intersection aesthetics
  • at Queen Elizabeth II Drive and Trafalgar Street
  • between Trafalgar Bridge and Grove Street and with related footpath widening and landscape treatment

• A variety of landscape improvements and incorporation of art around the city centre to enhance Nelson's distinct identity, visual amenity and recreational quality