Presentation to Community Board Meeting in Collingwood 8-3-2011

PRESENTATION TO

GOLDEN BAY COMMUNITY BOARD

8^TH MARCH 2011

“PROPOSED GOLDEN BAY COMMUNITY RECREATION, LEISURE & CULTURAL CENTRE”

GOLDEN BAY RECREATION PARK

Proposed New Community Shared Facility

Vision Statement

To build a new Community Recreation/Leisure/Cultural Facility at the Golden Bay Recreation Ground, which will provide a central hub for community activities in Golden Bay. In so doing, encouraging and enhancing participation, health, social and economic benefits to the residents of Golden Bay.

By having many activities on a central site it encourages greater interaction of the community. Our target user groups cover the entire population of Golden Bay from aged 1 to 90 years plus. We firmly believe the health benefits across all age groups have significant physical, mental and community benefits which translates into an overall healthier and more interactive community.

We are wanting to future-proof the provision of Sport, Recreation, Leisure and Cultural activities in Golden Bay for the generations to follow.

Who Are We?

Our combined group of like-minded sport, leisure, cultural and community groups has developed over the past 9 months.

There have been 5 open public meetings since 14 October 2010, when Peter Blasdale first introduced the idea of a combined shared facility in Golden Bay. These meetings have been advertised via the Golden Bay Weekly, an Internet based blog and word of mouth. Initially in excess of 60 people from all walks of life attended the first two meetings, with a core group of approximately 20 now attending and speaking for their individual groups

Interested parties include, as anticipated, many sporting groups, but of equal importance is the appeal of this facility to a far wider representation of the community, including youth groups, bridge, search and rescue, tap dancing, and others.

Who Are We Targeting?

While it is acknowledged that there is some crossover between the groups/participation, with members involved in more than one activity, even allowing for this, the provision of the facility will immediately benefit in excess of 30 individual groups totalling in excess of 1300 members, these being the groups and members that have already expressed a desire to see this proposal succeed and that would like to be included.

In addition to the above number there are others in our community who are not formally members of the identified groups who will benefit, eg youth activities, school holiday programmes. As well as increased participation rates across all groups due to having superior facilities.

Furthermore, we are not only wanting to encompass existing participants but actually increase participation rates across all activities, attract external use of the facilities by people from outside of Golden Bay.

Support

Hearteningly there has been interest and enthusiasm for this project from across the whole of Golden Bay. Groups include clubs with a long history in the Bay and some more recently formed. Happily this project will reach the full spectrum of interests and ages in our community.

The initial numbers (30 individual groups covering in excess of 1,300 people) are immediately in support of this proposed concept.

Why A Centralised/Amalgamated Facility?

Facilities currently available across Golden Bay are scattered on several sites. They are not dedicated facilities and, in particular, fail to provide adequate toilet, showers and changing rooms.

A number of groups do not have homes let alone facilities to cater for their demands. An excellent example of this is the Golden Bay Football Club with playing venues currently split between Golden Bay High School and the Golden Bay Recreation Park. Neither venue has a clubhouse, while no facilities are available at the Recreation Park for changing and showering, an issue when hosting visiting teams.

A central facility such as proposed will improve family life and prevent parents dashing from one place to another ferrying their children. They will be able to spend more time watching their offspring, maybe partaking in sport themselves and definitely improving social interaction. Parents will become better roles models to their children by either directly participating in their childrens activities or participating themselves.

Currently all nonsporting activities are also in scattered sites, again with variable suitability for purpose. This limits exposure of those groups to the broader social interaction of a community. By having a central facility all groups are exposed to new ideas. The more people participate in community social activities, the more a community bonds and strengthens. This contributes to its overall wellbeing and is to be strongly encouraged.

The provision of modern, up to date facilities would engender pride in the community when hosting tournaments and invitation events – be it sporting or otherwise. For sporting events in particular the absence of shower and changing facilities reflects days that are now gone.

A combined/shared facility will produce efficiencies and cost savings across the board, in effect rather than spreading the available resources thinly across the community, these valuable resources would be pooled in order to provide enhanced facilities for all.

Promoting Golden Bay

By including a suitable kitchen and social area able to seat 200 people, at a fresh and desirable location additional external benefits accrue. These include but are not limited to weddings and conferences, which in turn promote Golden Bay and the many activities it offers, thereby enhancing local tourism, employment and overall growth to the wellbeing of all residents.

Reasons For This To Succeed

Things very much on our side are:

• Available site with promise of room for expansion and the good will for this
• Enthusiastic and committed team involved in this project
• Leadership to get it up and running
• Enthusiastic response to the idea by the community - over 30 disparate groups have already expressed interest

Benefits to the community:

• Enhanced sporting facilities
• Enhanced community facilities
• A meeting place big enough for individual and community events
• Reaching all ages enhances mutual respect and understanding
• Increased opportunities for participation in new activities
• General improvement in mental and physical health
• Unquantifiable but economic benefit across the Bay as a consequence of visitors coming to events (tournaments, conferences etc) with overnight stays. Such participants often return to a previously unknown area on holiday.

Community spirit is understood but intangible – this facility will provide a focus for harnessing the good in a community which is beneficial for the health and wellbeing of all.

The Moutere Hills Recreation Centre is a similar facility to what is being proposed. It has been running for 5 years. Income from users of this facility has increased 6 fold over this time. There is a permanent member of staff running Moutere Hills. Golden Bay can emulate this.

We have an excellent existing site for this proposal, however with a few changes we can truly make it first class and for the entire community.

While the existing facilities at the Recreation Park have catered for their intended purpose over the past 50 or so years, the community has out-grown what is currently available and there is a real need to be forward-looking and take the bold next step to meet the combined needs of the community for the ensuing 50 plus years.

Where Are We At?

To date our Group has completed the following:-

1. Conducted 5 public meetings to gauge interest in the concept.
2. Concept fully supported by 30 user groups (sport, leisure & community)
3. Obtained ‘wish-lists’ from these user groups to determine what is actually desired and ascertain the level of crossover of facilities
4. Met with Sport Tasman to discuss general concept and how the likes of Moutere Hills and Murchison proceeded with their developments.
5. Met with Lloyd Kennedy (Tasman District Council) to discuss councils view of the concept and seek advice as to process to follow.
6. Meeting with Golden Bay Community Board 8 March 2011 to update them on the proposal

Next Steps

Dependent upon response from the Golden Bay Community Board, the following is proposed:-

1. Prioritise Group “Wish Lists”
2. Put a general concept plan out for public debate
3. Seek Council funding to assist with a feasibility study
4. Formalise our Group and together work jointly with a ‘consultant’ to complete the feasibility study.

It must be stressed that at all stages in the development of the concept and formalising of the project we welcome input from all sectors of the community. We have no pre-conceived plans and are solely motivated by the provision of a facility that will ultimately benefit the whole of the Golden Bay Community.

Groups who have expressed an interest:

Sporting

Aikido 25 members

Athletics 85 members

Basketball

Boxing

Cricket

Hockey 75 members

Mountain Bike 120 members

Netball 180 players

Rugby 140 members

Soccer 172 members

Squash 70 members

Swimming Club 110 members

Tennis 140 members

Women’s Football 20 members

Leisure

Aerobics

Aqua Aerobics

Bridge Club 43 members

Indoor Climbing Club 20-30 members

Conference Centre

Swimming Generally

Tap Dancing 100 members

Community

Arts Council

Community Workers (recreation, youth)

Search and Rescue 35 actual members but serves the whole community

Impact Youth Trust 25 involved and growing

Dean Lund               Jenny Pomeroy          Peter Blasdale