Levin Domain Upgrade
Dates – December 2025 – March 2026
Description
The Horowhenua District Council (HDC), in partnership with Green by Nature (GbN), embarked on an ambitious journey to elevate their open spaces from “Good to Great.” Following the award of the Open Space Management Contract to GbN in 2015—which was recently extended for another 10 years in 2024—a core aspiration emerged: to transform HDC’s sports turf surfaces into the premier community sports fields in New Zealand, capable of attracting regional and national sporting events. The Levin Domain was selected as the flagship site for this transformation.
The Challenge
The Levin Domain holds a rich sporting legacy, having hosted Shell Cup Cricket matches in the 1990s and New Zealand Provincial Rugby for the past century. Today, it serves as the home ground for three local rugby clubs and features a cycling velodrome. Because two rugby clubs are based at the site, the field hosts three club matches every Saturday without any rest period, creating immense wear and tear. Initial inspections in 2015 revealed a significant problem: the existing turf surface consisted of 95% Poa Annua and 5% weeds. The heavy Poa Annua thatch layer restricted moisture to the top 20mm of the turf profile. However, drainage infiltration testing showed excellent drainage rates once moisture penetrated the subsoil, thanks to the site’s sandy loam soil and riverstone foundation. With a highly constrained budget of just $40,000, a full drainage and sand carpet installation was completely unfeasible. The challenge was to dramatically improve the turf surface and park infrastructure to accommodate increased usage without compromising the requirements of the existing sporting codes.
To achieve the desired outcomes within the tight budget, the project team focused on executing fundamental turf management practices to an exceptional standard. The strategy involved a comprehensive surface renovation rather than a full reconstruction. The team initiated the process by eradicating the existing Poa Annua through three staggered applications of Glyphosate and Picloram, ensuring that all regrowth came into contact with the herbicides. Following this, the surface underwent heavy scarification with four passes to aggressively remove the dead organic matter, which was then collected and cleared from the site. A 20mm layer of Perry’s #1 turf sand was applied and laser-levelled to create a uniform base. The field was then under-sown with DLF SR4600 Sports Type Rye Grass at a rate of 600kg per hectare, completed in four passes. To encourage rapid seed establishment, DAP fertiliser was applied at 200kg per hectare. Finally, the field was closed for an eight-week grow-in period to ensure robust establishment.
The renovation yielded immediate and striking results. The SR4600 Rye Grass exhibited excellent establishment rates, allowing the field to reopen precisely after the eight-week closure. Post-renovation inspections following significant rainfall events (30mm+) demonstrated drastically improved moisture infiltration rates. Aesthetically, the uniform dark green colour of the Rye Grass provided a massive visual upgrade, while initial feedback from users highlighted the improved surface stability and drainage provided by the deeply rooted grass. In the long term, the upgraded turf surface has successfully attracted higher-level sporting events to the Levin Domain. In recent years, the venue has hosted Super Rugby and Super Rugby Aupiki matches, alongside Heartland and NPC Provincial Rugby matches. User feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with professional teams comparing the Levin Domain turf to premier stadium fields such as Eden Park and FMG Stadium.
Beyond elite sports, the revitalised field has enabled the introduction of new sporting codes. The Levin Domain now transitions to a soccer pitch annually in November for local college sports exchanges under floodlights. It has also hosted the Mid-Summer Blast National Baseball Tournament, where the field was transformed into a Major League Baseball-style diamond for evening play. Crucially, the project has also enhanced community access. Historically locked during weekdays, the Levin Domain is now open daily from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM as a general public reserve. It has become a vibrant community hub, hosting events like the Pacifica Festival and Christmas Carnival, and serving as a welcoming green space for school children and local workers. Ongoing projects to remove restrictive fencing and improve sightlines are further beautifying the park and enhancing public safety.
