Last Wednesday 27th July Ashburton District Council adopted a new strategy for play, active recreation and sport. The strategy is based on the vision that everyone involved enjoys being active and includes an action plan to achieve this.
The action plan includes a number of initiatives such as the development of multipurpose sports fields at the EA Networks Center and sand sports facilities for beach volleyball and handball.
Other ideas that came from the community through consultations included piloting female-only swim and fitness sessions at the EA Networks Center and a focus on playground accessibility.
Sports participation for Rangatahi (youth) was a focus and a new fee structure for the EA Networks Center was also in the pipeline.
“Our community has told us that the year 2022 will present a number of barriers preventing participation in play, active recreation and sports, so we took these aspects into account when developing the strategy,” said Steve Fabish, community group manager services.
Key issues faced by the sector included Covid-19, ensuring we are inclusive of aging and diverse populations, digital transformation and the cost of participation.
“The key objectives of the strategy are based on accessibility, participation, a strong collaborative sector and awareness-raising,” Mr. Fabish said.
The first generation physical activity strategy was developed in 2006, followed by a second generation sport and leisure strategy, which was adopted by the Council in 2010.
The 2010 strategy focused primarily on facility development and helped drive construction of the EA Networks Centre, which opened in 2015.
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