About the project
Newtown Park and Martin Luckie Park have been selected as training venues for the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup and will be upgraded to ensure these facilities are fit for purpose and can better serve the community once the tournament is complete.
This work is scheduled to get underway from November 2022 and will be completed in time for the tournament in 2023.
What's being done
To ensure the facilities meet the requirements for the tournament the following works will take place:
Newtown Park
- Install floodlights on the number 1 field (outside of the athletics track)
- Refresh of changing rooms, including making them gender neutral
- Full field renovation to both the number 1 and number two field in accordance with FIFA standards.
Martin Luckie Park
- Install floodlights around the number 1 field (fenced area)
- Changing room refresh
- Full field renovation in accordance with FIFA standards.
What to expect
In the lead up to the tournament there will be disruptions to both facilities, including field closures and construction work. We have worked with booking holders to ensure their activity can go ahead where possible.
Timeline of works at both facilities:
- October 2022 field renovations on the number 2 field (upper field) will begin at Newtown Park and once completed work will commence on field 1 (inner track). During this time the respective fields will be closed.
- November 2022 field renovations will commence at Martin Luckie Park and during this time the park will be closed. Please note this is the area inside the perimeter fence.
Floodlight installation at both facilities will begin.
Changing room upgrades will begin and the respective rooms will be closed during this time. Toilets will remain available.
- July 2023 both facilities will close to the public to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup trainings.
How did we get here
Every four years the FIFA Womens World Cup showcases talent from 32 countries around the globe. This is the largest women's sporting event in the world.
There will be 64 matches in four cities in Aotearoa New Zealand – including nine matches in Wellington – and five cities in Australia. Newtown Park and Martin Luckie Park will be available for the teams training sessions, along with other parks in the Wellington Region.
The Government announced a $19 million investment to support upgrades at a number of sporting facilities – which includes $1.9m towards Newtown Park and Martin Luckie Park. To learn more, read the full news release on the beehive website
Contact us
Wendy Turton, FIFA Project Coordinator Wellington City Council
Phone: 021738927
Email: wendy.turton@wcc.govt.nz