Petone Grandstand Project

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Petone Grandstand – expressions of interest

Update - 25 September  2026

Hutt City Council is inviting expressions of interest from community organisations interested in taking ownership of the Petone Grandstand and completing its refurbishment.

At its meeting on 15 September 2026, the Connected Communities, Climate and Resilience Committee considered the future of the Petone Grandstand. It recommended that Council consider the following recommendation at its meeting on 6 October 2026:

Council resolves to demolish the Petone Grandstand, unless it hears from the Petone community by 1 December 2026 with a committed plan, that satisfies Council officers that bridges the refurbishment funding gap, and takes over its ownership going forward.

This follows a decision by the Communities, Culture and Partnerships Committee in June 2025 to investigate transferring the remaining project budget and the grandstand structure to a non-profit community organisation.

Under this approach, the organisation would be responsible for completing the remediation and refurbishment of the grandstand to Council's requirements, and managing and maintaining it in the future.

To date, no community organisation has come forward with a proposal to take over the facility.

Given the strong local interest in the Petone Grandstand, the proposed timeframe provides an opportunity for interested community organisations to put forward a viable proposal before 1 December 2026.

What we're looking for

Council would like to hear from community organisations that can put forward a well-structured, fully costed and sustainable proposal for the future of the grandstand.

A proposal would need to demonstrate how the organisation would:

• bridge the funding gap required to complete the refurbishment
• take ownership of the grandstand
• complete the required remediation and refurbishment work to Council's requirements
• provide for the ongoing management and maintenance of the facility.

Guidance documents are available on this page to help interested organisations understand the information and level of detail required.

Express your interest

Community organisations interested in putting forward a proposal are encouraged to review the guidance documents and send their EOI to Head of Parks and Reserves Arthur Nelson - Arthur.Nelson@huttcity.govt.nz

Proposals must be received by 1 December 2026.

Council will consider proposals that meet the required criteria before determining the next steps for the Petone Grandstand.

Update - 15 September 2026

The future of the Petone Recreation Ground Grandstand was discussed at the meeting of the Connected Communities, Climate and Resilience Committee | Te Komiti Oranga Hapori, Oranga Taiao on 15 September 2026.

The Committee considered two presented options and then developed a new recommendation to Council, which was voted on and declared carried by division.

The recommendation is as follows, documented the meeting minutes:

Council resolves to demolish the Petone Grandstand, unless it hears from the Petone community by 1 December 2026 with a committed plan, that satisfies Council officers that bridges the refurbishment funding gap, and takes over its ownership going forward.

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Frequently Asked Questions - September 2026

Which options were considered for the Petone Recreation Ground Grandstand?

At the Connected Communities, Climate and Resilience Committee | Te Komiti Oranga Hapori, Oranga Taiao on 15 September 2026 Councillors considered two presented options and then developed a new recommendation to Council, which was voted on and declared carried by division.

The following options were considered, followed by the new recommendation to Council.

• Option A: demolish the grandstand and reinstate the area as parking or grass.
• Option B (recommended by officers): demolish the grandstand and seek to install a new prefabricated changing room facility, similar to the one at Frederick Wise Park. Option B would only proceed if demolition and construction of the replacement facility can be achieved within the existing funding available.
• New recommendation: “Council resolves to demolish the Petone Grandstand, unless it hears from the Petone community by 1 December 2026 with a committed plan, that satisfies Council officers that bridges the refurbishment funding gap, and takes over its ownership going forward.”

Why is the Petone Grandstand closed?

The grandstand was built in the late 1930s and has significant structural issues.

The grandstand seating area has been closed due to safety concerns. A detailed seismic assessment rated the building at 20% of the New Building Standard (NBS), which is considered seismic Grade D. This means it poses a high risk to users in the event of a moderate earthquake.

Is any part of the grandstand still in use?

Yes. The ground-floor changing rooms are still in use by sports clubs.

Public access to the seating and upper levels has been restricted for safety reasons. Additional measures are being put in place to prevent unauthorised access.

Why is a decision being made about the grandstand now?

In May 2024, Council allocated $3 million in the 2024–34 Long Term Plan for the development and strengthening of the grandstand, including the toilets and changing rooms. The community prioritised the Petone Wharf ($12M) and Hub ($5M) for fundings over the grandstand.

Three options for retaining all or part of the existing structure were investigated, but all exceeded the available budget.

Council then asked officers to investigate whether the structure and remaining budget could be transferred to a non-profit community organisation. That option has not been possible to progress, so Council now needs to decide what happens to the asset.

What options were previously considered for keeping the grandstand?

Three options were investigated:

• reinstating the existing structure
• retaining the existing structure but reducing seating capacity to 300 people
• removing the seating and retaining and reroofing the changing rooms.

All three options exceeded the available budget.

Why was transferring the grandstand to a community organisation considered?

In June 2025, Council directed officers to investigate transferring the remaining budget and the structure to a non-profit community organisation, such as one of the sports clubs based at Petone Recreation Ground.

Under this approach, the organisation would have been responsible for completing the remediation or rehabilitation of the structure to Council specifications, then managing and maintaining it under a lease arrangement.

Why isn't Petone Rugby Football Club taking ownership of the grandstand?

Council officers and the Mayor met and corresponded with Petone Rugby Football Club representatives several times about this option.

In July 2026, the Club advised Council that it would not continue considering divestment. The Club said the ongoing rates and licensing costs would make taking responsibility for the facility financially difficult for an amateur community sports club run by volunteers.

The Club's preference is for Council to retain ownership and refurbish the grandstand.

Could another organisation take ownership instead?

An open Expression of Interest process is not considered suitable because the grandstand's primary function is directly connected to recreation at Petone Recreation Ground and the sports clubs based there.

Any future use or ownership arrangement would need to remain closely aligned with the reserve's purpose, sporting activity and community use.

Has private or philanthropic funding been considered?

Petone Rugby Football Club has advised Council that it has identified a philanthropic donor who could potentially contribute towards restoring the grandstand.

This would be on the basis that Council restores the asset and continues to own and fund it into the future. This option has not been progressed because, while it could contribute towards the immediate restoration, it would not address the longer-term costs to Council of owning and managing the asset.

What would happen under Option A?

The grandstand would be demolished and the area reinstated as either parking or grass.

This would result in an estimated operational saving to Council of around $38,000 a year and a likely capital saving of between $2.1 million and $2.35 million.

However, it would also significantly reduce the level of service at the sports ground because there would no longer be a changing facility.

What would happen under the recommended Option B?

The existing grandstand would be demolished and Council would seek to install a smaller, prefabricated changing room facility similar to the one at Frederick Wise Park.

This would retain changing facilities at the sports ground without retaining the larger grandstand structure.

It would only proceed if demolition and construction of the replacement facility can be achieved within the existing funding available.

Why is a new changing facility recommended rather than just demolishing the grandstand?

The ground-floor changing rooms are currently used by sports clubs. Removing the entire facility without a replacement would mean there was no changing facility and would significantly reduce the level of service at one of Council's premiere sportsgrounds.

A smaller, modern changing facility would retain this service while reducing ongoing maintenance and renewal requirements.

Would the replacement facility include spectator seating?

If the available budget allows, consideration would be given to providing a limited amount of separate seating.

No decision has been made about how much seating could be provided.

How much funding is available?

Approximately $2.7 million is currently available.

Demolition is estimated to cost approximately $350,000 to $600,000, potentially leaving around $2.1 million to $2.35 million for a replacement facility.

This is before professional fees, consenting, contingency, escalation, service connections and other project-related costs are taken into account.

How much could a new prefabricated changing facility cost?

As a comparison, the prefabricated changing facility at Frederick Wise Park was purchased and installed for around $1.1 million, including connection to services. Services are already present at the Petone Grandstand site.

A final cost for a replacement facility at Petone has not yet been established. Any replacement would need to fit within the available funding after demolition and other project costs.

What would a new facility cost Council to maintain?

Maintenance of a new facility is estimated at around $12,000 per year.

As it would be a new facility constructed from modern materials, renewal costs are expected to be low for the first 15–20 years of operation.

Why can't Council spend more to strengthen and restore the existing grandstand?

Council allocated $3 million for the grandstand through the 2024–34 Long Term Plan. The three options investigated for retaining all or part of the existing grandstand exceeded that budget.

The options now being considered focus on what can be achieved within the available funding, as well as the longer-term costs of owning and maintaining the facility.

When will we know what happens next?

The new recommendation of the Connected Communities, Climate and Resilience Committee | Te Komiti Oranga Hapori, Oranga Taiao will go to the full Council meeting on 6 October 2026 for approval.

Further information about next steps, including any demolition, design or construction timeframes, can be provided once a decision has been made.

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Background

The Petone Grandstand at Petone Recreation Ground has been a longstanding feature of the local sporting landscape since it was built in the late 1930s. Over time, the structure has deteriorated and now presents serious safety concerns. A recent seismic assessment rated the grandstand at just 20% of the New Building Standard (NBS), which means it poses a high risk in the event of a moderate earthquake.

The grandstand seating area has been closed to the public for health and safety reasons. While the ground floor changing rooms are still in use, access to the upper levels is restricted and further measures are being put in place to prevent unauthorised entry.

In the Long Term Plan 2024–2034 Council allocated a capped budget of $20M to three Petone projects and asked for community feedback on how this should be allocated. In response to that feedback, the wharf and hub were prioritised and the Grandstand was allocated a capped budget of $3 million. This budget includes all project-related costs such as condition assessments, design, consents, and construction.

Since then, engineering investigations and concept designs have been completed. While early estimates suggested strengthening might be achievable within budget, updated costings showed that even basic seismic upgrade options would exceed the available funding, and did not cover full refurbishment.