New basketball court for Ōtaki

Work is underway on the building of a new basketball court in Ōtaki.

After considering community feedback and working with young people in Ōtaki, Council has agreed to build a new keyhole, or half-sized, basketball court in the grass area at the bottom of Haruatai Park.

Construction of the court has started and is scheduled to be finished by the end of the month, depending on weather.

Parks and Recreation Manager Alison Law says this is the first stage of work to make the park a great recreational space for different age groups and also includes an upgrade of the playground in the park.

“We want to create spaces for the community that are accessible, fun, varied and cater for a wide range of abilities,” Ms Law says.

“Our goal is to design interesting playgrounds that meet the needs of children and their caregivers.

The existing hoop, situated on a small concrete area of the park, will be re-used for the new court. It will be removed for two weeks so it can be restored before being installed in its new location.