Feilding is a growing town with a strong community, families, and young athletes who deserve access to modern sports facilities.

Currently, Manfeild has a large indoor arena space that is mainly used for animal-related events such as rodeos, horse sports, and agricultural shows. While these events are important, the reality is that the indoor arena remains unused for long periods of time, leaving a major community asset sitting idle.

What we are asking for

We are requesting that the indoor arena at Manfeild be upgraded and re-developed into a multi-purpose indoor sports facility, designed to support:

Indoor Football (Futsal / Indoor Soccer)
Basketball
Volleyball
Badminton
Netball (where possible)
Martial arts events (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, Judo, Taekwondo)
School tournaments and regional competitions
Community sport programmes and training camps
In addition, we are requesting the development of key supporting areas inside the venue such as:

A Reception / Check-in Area (for visitors, event entry, memberships, and customer service)
A Food Court Area (to support families, spectators, and visiting teams during tournaments and events)
Why this matters

Right now, many indoor sports events and competitions happen in Palmerston North, including football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and more. This forces Feilding families to:

Travel regularly out of town
Spend extra money on fuel and time
Miss opportunities to build local sport culture
Watch Feilding lose events and economic activity to other cities
Feilding currently has only one main indoor facility, the Civic Centre, which is a smaller venue and limited to one sports court. It simply cannot support the demand for multiple sports, larger tournaments, and growing community participation.

Why Manfeild is the perfect solution

Manfeild already has what most towns dream of having:

✅ A large indoor arena footprint
✅ Existing infrastructure and access
✅ Parking space
✅ Space and potential for retractable bleachers (to host spectators while keeping the floor flexible)
✅ Potential for a Reception area and Food Court to improve event experience and revenue opportunities
✅ A location that can attract regional events

With the right upgrade, this facility could become a regional indoor sports hub, bringing more events to Feilding, supporting local youth development, and strengthening community wellbeing.

Animal events can still continue

We respect and support Manfeild’s agricultural and equestrian history. However, many animal-related events can be hosted outdoors, explainable using Manfeild’s existing outdoor space and infrastructure. This would allow the indoor arena to serve a wider purpose year-round, without removing the identity of the venue.

Benefits for Feilding

A multi-sport indoor facility at Manfeild would:

Encourage more local sport participation
Support youth health, confidence, and discipline
Reduce travel needs for families
Bring tournaments and visitors into Feilding
Support local businesses (cafes, accommodation, shops)
Create new opportunities through a Food Court (supporting families during long tournaments and improving venue value)
Improve organisation and customer experience with a dedicated Reception / Check-in Area
Make Feilding a stronger sporting destination in the region
We call on decision makers to act

We ask Manawatū District Council and Manfeild decision makers to begin planning and consultation for transforming the Manfeild indoor arena into a multi-sport indoor venue that better serves the whole community.

Feilding deserves more opportunities.
Feilding deserves modern facilities.
Feilding deserves to host sport — not always travel for it.