Auckland Netball Centre

Overview

Located in St Johns, the Auckland Netball Centre is widely recognised as the home of netball in Auckland. Each year the venue hosts thousands of players, officials and spectators for training sessions, competitions and regional tournaments.

Beyond netball, the centre operates as a major community sports and recreation hub. School holiday programmes, sporting events, community activities and private functions regularly take place at the venue. It’s 800-space carpark also hosts the Auckland Markets every Sunday throughout the year, further reinforcing the site’s role as an important community destination.

Lighting has long been a key operational challenge for the facility. The centre requires lighting that supports high-performance sport while also maintaining comfort for players and spectators. Maximising natural daylight is important both for energy efficiency and to minimise unnecessary heat from artificial lighting during daytime play.

Originally developed in 2006, the site’s existing lighting control infrastructure had reached the end of its lifecycle. Intelligent Environments was engaged by Auckland Netball to provide strategic advice on a future upgrade pathway, replacing the ageing C-Bus control system for both the indoor courts and the 30 fully lit outdoor courts.

The recommended solution involved transitioning the entire site to a modern DALI-based lighting control architecture, enabling significantly greater flexibility, performance and long-term scalability.

Objectives

The lighting control upgrade was designed to achieve several key outcomes for the facility.

Modernise an ageing lighting control system
Replace the legacy C-Bus system with a contemporary DALI lighting control platform capable of supporting the evolving operational needs of the venue.

Improve flexibility for multiple court configurations
Enable the indoor courts to be divided into different layouts, each with associated lighting scenes that can be quickly activated depending on the event or activity.

Support broadcast-level lighting performance
As the venue is used for televised events by Sky Sport, lighting needed to meet broadcast standards while still allowing flexibility for everyday use.

Enhance energy efficiency and operational control
Provide seamless dimming and scene management to reduce energy consumption while maintaining optimal playing conditions.

Improve control of the outdoor courts
Upgrade the lighting system across the centre’s 30 outdoor courts to provide improved control, flexibility and long-term maintainability.

Deliver a future-ready solution
Implement a scalable system capable of adapting to future changes, expansions or operational requirements.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

a. Upgrading a legacy control system
The original lighting infrastructure relied on an ageing C-Bus system which no longer provided the level of flexibility required for a modern multi-purpose sports venue.

Solution
Intelligent Environments proposed migrating the site to a fully DALI-based control system. This architecture enables individual lighting control, smooth dimming and the creation of multiple lighting scenes tailored to specific events, competitions or training requirements.

The system also allows the indoor courts to be divided into various configurations, each with independent lighting control, improving usability and operational efficiency.

b. Broadcast lighting requirements
The Auckland Netball Centre hosts events that are broadcast by Sky Sport, requiring lighting levels and uniformity suitable for television production.

Solution
DALI lighting control allows lighting scenes to be configured specifically for broadcast conditions, ensuring consistent illumination levels while also enabling rapid adjustments for smaller events, training sessions or community activities.

This flexibility allows the venue to operate efficiently without maintaining maximum lighting output when it is not required.

c. Lighting control across 30 outdoor courts
The centre operates 30 outdoor courts, all equipped with sports lighting to extend playing hours into the evening.

During the design phase, the initial proposal for the outdoor lighting involved using simple relay switching due to the complexity and cost associated with installing new DALI control cabling.

However, this approach would have limited functionality to basic on/off control, preventing the use of advanced lighting features such as dimming and scene control.

Solution
Intelligent Environments implemented the zencontrol wireless DALI system, enabling full DALI functionality without the need for extensive re-wiring.

This wireless solution delivers all the benefits of a traditional wired DALI system while avoiding the cost and disruption of installing new control cabling across the outdoor courts.

The system also provides exceptional flexibility, allowing the lighting layout to evolve as the facility grows or operational requirements change.

d. Managing light pollution and improving player experience
With a large number of outdoor courts operating at night, controlling light spill into neighbouring areas is an important consideration.

Solution
DALI dimming capabilities allow the centre to carefully manage light levels across the site.

Lighting can be optimised for gameplay while reducing brightness in surrounding areas to minimise light pollution. As players leave the facility, lighting levels can also be gradually reduced while maintaining safe illumination across circulation areas.

This approach improves environmental performance while also enhancing the overall experience for players and visitors.

Additionally, dimming lighting fixtures helps extend lamp life and reduce maintenance costs over time.

e. Simplifying system operation
With a large and complex lighting installation across indoor and outdoor spaces, ease of use was essential for the venue’s operational team.

Solution
Intelligent Environments delivered a fully customised user interface that provides clear visualisation and intuitive control of the entire lighting system.

Staff can easily adjust lighting scenes, configure courts and manage the system without requiring technical expertise.

This ensures the venue team can respond quickly to changing operational needs while maintaining consistent lighting performance.

Project Partners & Collaboration

The Auckland Netball Centre lighting upgrade involved close collaboration between the venue’s management team and the Intelligent Environments engineering and commissioning specialists.

Intelligent Environments provided:

• Lighting control system design and consultancy

• DALI network architecture

• zencontrol wireless integration for outdoor courts

• System configuration and commissioning

• Customised user interface development

By working closely with Auckland Netball throughout the planning and design stages, the final system was tailored to the unique operational needs of a large, multi-use sports venue.

Project Outcome

The completed lighting control upgrade delivers a flexible, future-ready lighting environment that supports both elite sport and community activity.

Key outcomes include:

• Modern DALI lighting control architecture across the venue

• Flexible indoor court configurations with programmable lighting scenes

• Broadcast-ready lighting performance for televised events

• Wireless DALI control for 30 outdoor courts

• Reduced light pollution and improved environmental performance

• Lower operational and maintenance costs through dimming control

• A customised user interface for simple site-wide control

For Auckland Netball, the result is a more efficient, adaptable and user-friendly lighting system capable of supporting the venue’s diverse activities.

For Intelligent Environments, the project highlights our ability to deliver advanced lighting control solutions for large-scale sports facilities – where performance, flexibility and operational reliability are essential.