Lighting display in the wind for arena
Palmerston North’s new corporate citizenmercury is contributing to the makeover of the Central Energy Trust Arena.
Developers of the Turitea Wind Farm have granted the city council $150,000 to pay for LED lighting displays on the new pedestrian bridge leading into the stadium.
The first $20,000will be used to set up the software licensing and content, and the balance for the supply and installation of the displays.
The city council plans to use the panels to shine light on the arena’s history, its users and cultural significance.
People walking over the 8metrewide bridge into the arena will get an eye-level view of the illuminated images.
On special occasions, the imageswill change with possibilities to display poppies for Anzac Day, or racing cars for speedway events.
The lighting is in addition to the $17.1 million makeover of the venue already under way, including the new speedway pits, base for the south stand, and the entrance plaza on the corner of Cuba and Waldegrave streets.
The work is expected to be finished by the end of April.
Mercury’s chief marketing officer Julia Jack said the company was pleased to be supporting the wider community beyond the direct benefits of the $465 million investment in the wind farm project.
‘‘We’re delighted to add a new ‘wow’ factor to this much-loved part of the CET Arena,’’ she said. The key benefit to the city council from the wind farm relates to royalties for allowing transmission towers connecting the wind farm to be erected through the water catchment area of the Turitea Reserve.
Once the 66-turbine-wind farm begins generating, that will be worth about $800,000 a year.
The first payments are expected to be due in the 2021/22 financial year, amounting to an estimated $500,000.