Stadium Southland

ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill, New Zealand is a multi-purpose venue, capable of conducting a wide range of events from large scale concerts to sporting events and exhibitions. Incorporating the SIT Zero Fees Velodrome, the stadium complex has hosted a range of national and international events – sporting, recreational, cultural, arts, corporate and even equestrian.

ILT Stadium Southland
'The Cauldron' or 'The Shark Cage'
Former namesStadium Southland
LocationInvercargill, New Zealand
OwnerSILCCT
Capacity4,019 (rebuilt facility)
Opened2000
Tenants
Southern Sting (National Bank Cup) (2000–2007)
Southern Steel (ANZ Premiership) (2008–present)
Southland Sharks (2010–present)

The original stadium was completed in May 2000 but in September 2010, a heavy snowfall caused the main stadium roof to collapse, causing substantial structural damage to the complex.[1] A replacement stadium opened in February 2014 with a capacity of 4019, and retractable seating.[2] The stadium also has eleven other community basketball, netball and volleyball courts, four Rebound Ace tennis courts, four squash courts and several corporate lounges.

Home teams

The stadium is home for the Southern Steel netball team in the ANZ Championship, and formerly the championship-winning Southern Sting in the now defunct National Bank Cup netball league. In 2010 the stadium made room for another franchise, the Zero Fees Southland Sharks in the New Zealand National Basketball League.

Velodrome

The SIT Zero Fees Velodrome was the first indoor velodrome in New Zealand.[3][4] The $11,000,000 building can hold 1,050 people.

Roof collapse

On 18 September 2010, the roof on the stadium collapsed following a heavy snowfall.[5] The cost of repairs was expected to run into millions of dollars,[6] with events as far as two years in the future needing to be cancelled.[7]

In December 2010 a Stadium Review Committee found that the roof collapse was due to inadequate workmanship, low building code requirements and unusually heavy snow fall,[8] and on 11 May 2012, the Department of Building and Housing released a report citing construction defects and deficiencies in steel fabrication and welding as contributing factors to the collapse. The report was also referred to the New Zealand Police to investigate.[1]

The stadium reopened in February 2014 under the new name ILT Stadium Southland.[2]

References
  1. "Police called over building disaster", 12/05/2012, The Southland Times
  2. "Phoenix rises in Invercargill", Allison Rudd, 15 February 2014, ODT.co.nz
  3. "Turning the dream into reality, how the Southland velodrome changed New Zealand cycling", 26 May 2016, SCOTT DONALDSON, stuff.co.nz
  4. (There is now also another located in Cambridge, south of Hamilton in the North Island)
  5. Mackay, Scot (18 September 2010). "Fear as roof collapses". Southland Times.
  6. Hotton, Mark (18 September 2010). "Stadium roof collapses". Southland Times.
  7. "Stadium collapses in Southland". stuff.co.nz. 18 September 2010.
  8. "Worksmanship blamed for stadium roof collapse". Otago Daily Times. 10 December 2010.
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