By the Explore New Plymouth news desk · Published Thursday 12 November 2026
The Lottery Grants Board has given $1 million to the Tūparikino Hub, the indoor sports arena being built beside the New Plymouth Raceway, which New Plymouth District Council says will cut the ratepayer share of the cost.
- Grant
- $1 million from the Lottery Grants Board, after $200,000 from New Zealand Community Trust in October
- Where
- Beside TSB Stadium and the New Plymouth Raceway, sharing the site with Taranaki Racing
- Opening
- Stadium on track to open in early 2028
The money goes towards building the arena and will reduce the borrowing the council needs for it, according to the council’s release on Tuesday 10 November. The council set aside up to $50 million for the hub in its 2024-2034 10-Year Plan and is working with its project partners to bring that ratepayer cost down with outside funding.
Mayor Max Brough said in the release, “Tūparikino is a major construction project for our district that is supporting jobs for more than 20 local subcontractors and suppliers at a time when the construction industry is being squeezed.”
What is being built
The sports hall will have six courts the size of a basketball or netball court. They can be set up instead as 12 volleyball courts, 16 badminton or pickleball courts, or three futsal courts. The council expects it to host national tournaments and events such as kapa haka, as well as school groups and everyday community use.
About a fifth of the roof over the indoor courts is now on, and the council expects the site to get busier over the coming months. More playing fields inside the racecourse will follow as further funding is found.
How the project got here
The hub is being delivered by the council with Sport Taranaki and the hapū Ngāti Tūparikino and Ngāti Te Whiti. The council’s project page says costs had risen to around $110 million by 2023, so councillors put a scaled-back version into the 10-Year Plan.
Groundworks began in late 2024, and Taranaki Racing signed a 33-year lease that December to keep racing on the site. The page also notes the hub is within walking distance of more than 4,000 students at nearby schools.
The council posts construction updates on its Tūparikino Hub project page and on Instagram at @tuparikinohub.
- New Plymouth District Council: Lottery board awards $1 million towards the cost of building Tūparikino Hub, released 10 November 2026
- New Plymouth District Council: Tūparikino Hub project page, released 12 October 2026
Explore New Plymouth news desk: news@explorenewplymouth.co.nz. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we’ll correct it.
Get New Plymouth’s news every Thursday
Explore New Plymouth Weekly: local stories, weekend picks and what’s on. Free.
Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe any time.