Play o Connect o Belong
Building Auckland's next regional indoor sports hub
Harbour Sports Hub will expand the existing Albany Tennis Park into a multi-purpose indoor sports destination for North Harbour and the wider Auckland region — serving more than 430,000 residents within a 30-minute drive by 2043.
- $25.3m
- Estimated capital cost (excl. GST)
- $10m
- Approved by Auckland Council
- 432,000+
- People in catchment by 2043
Executive summary
A transformational community sport project
Harbour Sports Hub is led by the Harbour Sports Hub Trust in partnership with Tennis Northern Region, Badminton North Harbour and Harbour Basketball. Together they will expand Albany Tennis Park into a multi-purpose indoor sports hub serving local, sub-regional and regional communities.
The development delivers new indoor court capacity, shared amenities and a sustainable operating model designed to increase participation, improve access, support youth and community wellbeing, and reduce future reliance on public or grant funding for routine maintenance.
The total estimated capital cost is approximately $25.3 million excluding GST, funded through council investment, major community funders, gaming and charitable trusts, sponsorship, naming rights and philanthropic contributions — all on an established Albany site with sport, community and support facilities already in place.
The project
A modern indoor multisport facility
Harbour Sports Hub will be developed on the existing Albany Sports Park site — approximately 46,500 square metres already home to outdoor and indoor tennis courts, administration offices, bar and café facilities, retail, function spaces and ancillary areas.
Ten indoor badminton courts
Reliable access for players of all ages and abilities.
Four indoor basketball courts
Dual-marked for volleyball, leagues, schools and tournaments.
Four pickleball courts
Dual-marked for one tennis court.
Tennis retained
Existing indoor and outdoor tennis facilities kept within the wider hub.
FootballFix & Padel
Small-sided football and padel courts on site.
Shared community spaces
Café, bar, retail, function rooms and operational support areas.
Community need & strategic rationale
Growing population, not enough courts
North Harbour and the wider Albany catchment are experiencing sustained population growth, changing demographics and increasing demand for accessible indoor sport and recreation. The needs analysis identified a 30-minute drive-time catchment of 285,450 people in 2017, projected to exceed 432,000 by 2043, with the wider North Harbour catchment reaching approximately 569,300.
The investment case is strengthened by the shortage of indoor court capacity across greater Auckland, the growth of basketball, badminton, volleyball and pickleball, and the ability of a shared multisport facility to serve schools, clubs, families, casual users, older adults, young people and community organisations.
285,450
30-minute catchment in 2017
432,000+
Projected catchment by 2043
569,300
Wider North Harbour by 2043
46,500m²
Established Albany site
Vision, objectives & outcomes
A leading regional hub for sport, health and wellbeing
To establish Harbour Sports Hub as a leading regional hub for sport, active recreation, health, fitness and wellbeing — enabling more people to participate more often in a safe, inclusive and financially sustainable environment.
- Increase access to indoor court space for high-demand sports.
- Support pathways from casual play to coaching, leagues and representative activity.
- Provide an inclusive venue for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
- Support schools, clubs and community organisations with reliable indoor facilities.
- Operate with a healthy surplus and build a dedicated maintenance and sinking fund.
- Reduce long-term dependency on council and third-party maintenance funding.
Operating model
Shared hub, professional management
The facility will operate as a shared multisport hub under the governance of the Harbour Sports Hub Trust. Tennis Northern Region, Badminton North Harbour and Harbour Basketball will each manage activity, programmes, bookings, competitions and promotion for their court spaces, while shared facility management ensures consistent standards for safety, maintenance, presentation, customer experience and asset protection.
A dedicated Facilities Manager will oversee building operations, preventative maintenance, supplier coordination, cleaning, security, emergency repairs, tenant liaison and efficiency improvements. Operating expenses are shared based on court space allocation — currently anticipated as 50% tennis, 30% basketball and 25% badminton.
Financial sustainability
Diversified, recurring income
Income streams include court hire, programmes, competitions, coaching, tournaments, casual use, commercial tenancies, events, sponsorship and ancillary revenue from café, retail and function activity.
| Code | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | $725,000 | $489,598 |
| Tennis | $1,015,000 | $671,460 |
| Basketball | $612,000 | $474,900 |
| Total | $2,352,000 | $1,635,958 |
A dedicated sinking fund of $150,000 per year will be set aside for the first two years and reviewed regularly thereafter, ensuring the facility remains safe, attractive and financially resilient.
Capital cost & funding requirement
$25.3 million, blended campaign
The preliminary capital budget includes site preparation, substructure, frame, roof, exterior works, services, finishes, preliminaries, contractor margin and contingency allowances. Auckland Council has approved $10 million towards the project, with the balance secured through a blended capital campaign — no single source is expected to fund the full project.
The funding strategy appeals to public agencies, community funders, charitable trusts, gaming trusts, corporate sponsors and individual philanthropic supporters, each seeing clear alignment between their contribution and measurable community outcomes.
| Funding source | Target |
|---|---|
| Auckland Council | $12,800,000* |
| Major community and philanthropic funders | $8,000,000 + |
| Gaming and charitable trusts | $3,000,000 + |
| Corporate sponsorship and naming rights | $560,000 + |
| Individual and third-party philanthropic investors | $3,300,000 + |
| Total requirement | ~$25.3m |
* $10 million approved by Auckland Council.
Governance, ownership & management
Three sports, one trust
Governance and ownership will rest with the Harbour Sports Hub Trust. Tennis Northern currently appoints trustees; Simpson Grierson has been engaged to work with tennis, badminton and basketball to develop a new Trust Deed reflecting governance best practice and ensuring appropriate representation of all three sports.
Each sport will hold a sublease from the Trust, providing long-term security over the spaces they occupy. Day-to-day operations will be overseen by a Facilities Manager, while each sport manages its own programmes, competitions, bookings and marketing within its allocated space.
The hub also hosts major sporting events, community programmes and corporate functions, reinforcing its role as an important sporting and community hub for the region.
Risk management
Identified risks, planned mitigations
Construction cost escalation or budget overrun
Professional quantity surveying, contingency allowances, staged approvals, disciplined scope control and regular funder reporting.
One sport unable to meet operating or sinking fund commitments
Clear agreements, transparent financial monitoring and staged review of contribution levels.
Divergent views on shared spaces
Agreed governance protocols, booking rules, escalation processes and annual operating plans.
Seasonality and utilisation fluctuations
Diversified sports, programmes, tournaments, school use, corporate bookings and community activity.
Competition from other venues
Differentiation through location, multi-sport offering, quality facilities and community partnerships.
Staffing and service delivery challenges
An experienced Facilities Manager, clear service standards, supplier arrangements and staff training.
Economic downturn affecting discretionary spend
Accessible pricing, membership options, school and community partnerships, diverse revenue streams.
Health, safety, injury or liability risks
Robust health and safety systems, insurance, maintenance schedules and emergency procedures.
Impact measurement
Reporting real community value
Harbour Sports Hub will report impact to funders through practical, measurable indicators that demonstrate community value and long-term sustainability.
- Annual visits and participant numbers
- Court utilisation by sport, time of day and user group
- School, club and community organisation bookings
- Youth participation, coaching and development programmes
- Casual access and pay-for-play participation
- Community events, tournaments and inclusive recreation programmes
- Operating surplus, maintenance reserve and sinking fund growth
- Customer satisfaction, safety performance and facility condition
Funding proposition
One community. Endless potential.
Investment in Harbour Sports Hub is an investment in community infrastructure, participation, wellbeing and long-term regional capacity. Funding partners are invited to join the Trust and its sporting partners in delivering a facility that will serve hundreds of thousands of visits each year and provide a lasting legacy for sport, recreation, health and wellbeing in North Harbour.
Get in touch
Talk to the Trust
Whether you're a funder, club, school or neighbour, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a note and a member of the Harbour Sports Hub Trust will be in touch.