Waiau Pa Football Club seeks lights to keep winter sport alive

A growing football club in Waiau Pa says the lack of lighting at Waiau Pa Domain is putting pressure on volunteers and limiting children’s access to organised sport during winter.

Naomi O’Brien from Waiau Pa Football Club told the Franklin Local Board the club has grown from one team to around 100 children over the past decade, but winter training sessions must finish before dark.

“I really struggle to recruit coaches who can get back to the Waiau Pa Domain by 4.30pm in the afternoon to train teams before it gets dark in winter,” O’Brien said.

One volunteer coach had already stepped down this season because they could not return from work in time, she said.

“More and more dads are stepping up to coach, but we’re struggling with volunteer availability.”

The club is not asking for full floodlighting.

Waiau Pa Domain Recreation Reserve, where the local football club hopes improved lighting could help extend winter training hours. Photo/Auckland Council

“We just want two poles with two lights on them. We’re not trying to floodlight the whole domain, just a small area for the kids.”

Training sessions are currently squeezed into Wednesday afternoons, but are often pushed late into the night.

Extending training by even an hour would make a significant difference for working parents who volunteer as coaches, she said.

“We’re not asking for a lot. Just enough light so we can finish by 7 or 7.30pm.”

O’Brien told board members the club operates "on the smell of an oily rag".

Franklin Local Board discusses lighting concerns at Waiau Pa Domain raised during a deputation from Waiau Pa Football Club. Photo / Auckland Council

She said the domain has become a gathering place for the wider community during match days.

“Whenever we host home games, grandparents and families come down. It creates a really nice hub,” she said.

“My own kids have aged out, but I’m asking you, please help the next generation.”

The lack of lighting was impacting other park users.

A social football group can no longer play Monday evening games once daylight saving ends, and a local scout group has raised safety concerns about limited lighting near the toilets and outdoor areas.

The Waiau Pa Wolves Under-9 football team and coaches during the 2025 season. The club says limited lighting at Waiau Pa Domain restricts winter training opportunities. Photo/Waiau Pa Football Club

Local board members asked staff about the history of the lighting infrastructure and potential costs if lighting was reinstated.

Board member Andrew Kay confirmed lights had previously been removed from the site in 2018.

Board member Hunter Hawker asked whether nearby residents had been consulted and if there had been any community concerns when the lighting was removed.

Alan Cole, chair of the Franklin Local Board, said the board would workshop the matter and investigate past lighting removal and associated costs before making any decisions.

In a later statement, Auckland Council area operations manager Eli Ewens said the asset register does not list any sports field lighting at Waiau Pa Domain.

Sports field lighting like this can allow training and games to continue after dark during winter months. Photo/Sincerely Media

“While we don’t have formal records of council-owned lighting at the site, we understand that there was previous lighting infrastructure,” Ewens said.

“Based on the information available to us, those lights were most likely third-party installed rather than council-owned.”

Council does not hold records confirming its direct involvement in the removal of the lights.

“However, if ageing or corroded poles were identified as posing a health and safety risk, it wouldn’t be unusual for maintenance contractors to remove them to keep the site safe,” Ewens said.

Council staff would provide advice on options, costs and implications to the board.

Ewens said the council was open to discussions if the community and local board determined lighting is needed.

“As we continue work to improve and regenerate the domain, we’re happy to work with the local board and the community to understand whether there’s a need for lighting in the future and how that could be considered through the local board work programme.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.