Heavy work to start at Yarrow Stadium

Yarrow Stadium neighbours will notice vibrations and more noise when heavy-duty work ramps up at the site.  

In an email update to surrounding residents from the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC), work to install new piles to stabilise the West Stand is scheduled to begin tomorrow, while demolition work will start in the coming weeks.  

The initial phase involves the use of equipment that generates vibrations to reduce ground resistance when driving down the piles.  

“This phase will last about a week. After a gap of about two weeks, the work will resume with hammering equipment this time,” the update said.  

On the opposite side of the ground, work is well advanced on stripping out the interior of the East Stand. At least four truck loads per day is taking away scrap metal and other debris.  

The removal of the roof will start in the next few weeks.  

“An operator in an excavator with a 13.5m arm and a shearing attachment will pre-cut the roof into sections. Each section will then be lifted down by another excavator with a 26m arm.” 

The roof will be cut into smaller sections and trucked off site.  

Christchurch company Ceres NZ is the demolition company.  

The TRC said the work will generate daytime noise and extra traffic in the area. The middle section of Maratahu Street has already been reduced to 30km/h with no left turn for vehicles coming out of the stadium entrance.  

The update said overnight security will be in place in the next few weeks to protect the site when further demolition gets underway.  

“We hope this will also discourage nocturnal use of the car park by unauthorised vehicles.” 

Yarrow Stadium’s grandstands were deemed earthquake prone in November 2017 and June 2018. The stadium has been operational since, but in a reduced capacity.