Media release
2 September 2011

Netball North Harbour’s new Onewa Arena opens opportunities

Netballers and North Shore residents alike have a fantastic new sports and events venue with today’s opening of the Onewa Arena, says Kaipatiki Local Board chair Lindsay Waugh.

Attached to Netball North Harbour’s Netball Centre on Northcote Rd, the arena is a 1500sq m space housing two all-weather courts, covered with state-of-the-art, noise-reducing material, which can accommodate netball, volleyball and futsal (indoor soccer).

Mrs Waugh said Auckland Council had contributed $360,000 to the dual-purpose community asset.

“The Council has long supported the expansion of Netball North Harbour’s facilities because netball is the most popular and fastest growing sport in the area,” Mrs Waugh said.

“Onewa Arena is the home of Netball North Harbour, which has produced many Silver Ferns. It is a boon for our local netballers who will now be able to watch top-level games and be inspired on their own patch,” she said.

“For the local community, it is a striking new venue with the flexibility to host functions, trade expos and other events.”

North Harbour Netball CEO Adele Lendich said Netball North Harbour had more than 16,000 members and had produced such netball greats as Ruth Aitken, Temepara George, Jenny-May Coffin and Daneka Wipiiti.

“Onewa Arena really does open up a whole new window of opportunity for us,” Ms Lendich says.

“The new sprung wooden floor means that we can host premier club netball. We hope that the Northern Mystics will choose to use the arena as one of their key training bases for their 2012 campaign.

“The arena will become a place of inspiration for our young players – Netball New Zealand has scheduled National Champion fixtures at the arena and Netball North will use it as well.

“It is our 60th anniversary next year which we are planning to celebrate with a ball – now we have the perfect venue.”

Ends

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