Sport infrastructure — fields, courts, changing rooms, lighting, pavilions, and playing surfaces — is one of the largest capital needs for sport clubs in New Zealand. Infrastructure grants are available from central government, gaming trusts, local councils, and community funders. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Sport NZ funds sport infrastructure:
- Sport NZ infrastructure grants: Community sport facility investment
- Turf and playing surface grants: Artificial turf for football, hockey, and multi-sport
- Lighting upgrades: Field lighting for extended playing hours
- Facility audits: Assessing facility needs and priorities
Contact Sport NZ and your RST about the current infrastructure investment round.
MBIE funds community infrastructure:
- Shovel-ready infrastructure: Large capital projects for community sport
- Community infrastructure programmes: Facilities that serve broad community need
MBIE infrastructure funding typically requires significant community consultation and co-funding.
RSTs fund sport facility development:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland sport infrastructure — large population base
- Sport Wellington: Wellington region facilities
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch rebuilding and sport infrastructure
- Sport Waikato, Sport Bay of Plenty: Regional sport facility grants
RST infrastructure grants:
- Changing rooms and toilets
- Canteen and clubroom upgrades
- Equipment storage
- Accessibility improvements
Gaming trusts are a major source of sport infrastructure funding:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community sport facility development
- Grassroots Trust: Sport infrastructure — courts, fields, lighting
- Pub Charity: Clubroom, facility, and equipment grants
- Lion Foundation: Community sport infrastructure
- Lotteries: Facility grants for active community organisations
Gaming trust infrastructure applications:
- Court resurfacing (tennis, netball, basketball)
- Field drainage and irrigation
- Changing room and toilet upgrades
- LED lighting installation
- Grandstand and spectator seating
- Fencing and security
Local councils fund sport infrastructure through:
- Council reserves contributions: Developer contributions for community sport
- Capital works grants: Council contribution to club facility upgrades
- Lease arrangements: Long-term leases that enable clubs to secure bank finance
- Joint-use facilities: Schools and councils co-investing in shared sport facilities
Approach your local council parks and recreation team for infrastructure funding dialogue.
Lottery Sport: Capital infrastructure for active sport clubs.
Lottery Community: Broader community infrastructure including sport.
Artificial turf for football, hockey, and multi-sport:
- Cost: $800,000–$2,000,000+ for full-size pitch
- Sport NZ investment: Artificial turf strategy for community sport
- Hockey NZ: Turf investment for field hockey
- Football NZ: Turf for community football
- Multi-sport: Shared turf facilities serving multiple codes
Large turf projects often require co-funding from Sport NZ, local council, gaming trusts, and user clubs.
Field and court lighting:
- LED upgrades: Significant energy savings plus CAPEX for lighting
- Extended play hours: Lighting enables after-dark training and competition
- Funders: Gaming trusts, Sport NZ, and energy efficiency programmes
- EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority): LED upgrade co-funding
Accessibility upgrades:
- Whaikaha: Disability access to sport facilities
- ACC: Sport facility accessibility as falls prevention
- Sport NZ: Inclusive design standards for community facilities
Accessible changing rooms, ramps, and toilets are increasingly required by funders.
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Community use: Hours of use per week, number of participants, codes served
- Asset condition: Current state — why upgrade is needed now
- Co-funding: Multiple funders contributing — no single source
- Council land security: Long-term lease or ownership for capital investment
- Sustainability: Operating plan for ongoing maintenance
- Accessibility: Inclusive design for disability access
- Environmental design: Water efficiency, stormwater, sustainability features
- Governance: Club financial health to manage and maintain the asset
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport clubs manage infrastructure grant applications across Sport NZ, RSTs, gaming trusts, local councils, and community funders, tracking facility outcomes and usage data required for reporting.