The district council’s Draft Sport, Active Recreation and Play Spaces and Places Plan highlights how many facilities are in the district currently, along with how many will be needed in the next decade for each sport or activity.
Ellesmere Rugby Sub Union chairman Chris Thornley said there is a “misconception” by the council there are enough rugby fields in the district.
He said if the council doesn’t include rugby fields in the planned $18.1 million Rolleston district park development, the council will “miss a trick.”
“We’re investigating a home of rugby for Ellesmere rugby, it’s our dream to have an oval with a grandstand and surrounding fields.”
District council open spaces and strategy manager Mark Rykers said a stadium is a possibility for the district park being designed in the next year.
“This would recognise the existing space requirements for different sports and the likely future requirements as the district continues to grow.”
The Selwyn Netball Centre has had teams play at both indoor and outdoor venues the past two years after being given priority to use the Selwyn Sports Centre.
But netball centre president Andrea James said there has been “very little” communication with the district council over the future of netball in the district.
After a “lot of hard work” creating a system for teams to use the sports centre and Lincoln Domain courts, the centre has now been told they may not be able to use the Selwyn Sports Centre due to other groups getting “more equitable access.”
James said there was a “belief” by the district council that eight indoor courts would be enough for the netball centre to completely move their competitions indoor, when they were previously struggling to fit all Saturday teams on the 12 outdoor courts at Lincoln Domain.
Rykers said the plan has signalled “the need to do some further planning/investigations” to enable the district council to make further investment decisions in sport and recreation facilities.
However, James highlighted the district council needs to address the identified “communication gap” between them and sports clubs.
“It’s very difficult, they hold a lot of power.”
Feedback sought on provision of sports facilities
Residents are now being asked to provide feedback on the provision of sporting and recreational facilities in Selwyn over the next decade.
The Draft Sport, Active Recreation and Play Spaces and Places Plan aims to ensure the district has “the appropriate” facilities to support sport and recreation in the future.
The plan has been developed through a review of existing information such as population analysis, surveys to local clubs, organisations and educators, and internal district council workshops.
Stakeholders have identified large sports in the region are struggling with space limitations, while space is also needed to accommodate newer sports that are gaining popularity.
With the projected population of Selwyn expected to be near 100,000 in 2033, it is anticipated the demand for sport and recreational services, clubs and facilities will also increase. This is particularly expected in townships, with almost half of the district’s population expected to be in Lincoln and Rolleston in 2033.
The spaces and places plan was created to “provide a framework” that identifies what facilities are required in the next 10 years. The district council has recognised the importance of encouraging participation and wants to “future-proof” the need for additional facilities.
From 2013 to 2018, the district was the second-fastest growing in the country, and with Selwyn’s largest age group projected to be 15-19 years by 2030, the council has identified a need to cater for activities preferred by the increasing younger population.
Selwyn Netball Centre president Andrea James believes around half of the centre’s 2700 members were under the age of 18, while Ellesmere Rugby Sub-Union chairman Chris Thornley said about 60 per cent of rugby players were at junior level.
The district council has focused on accommodating sports with the largest participation numbers and increases, as they are most likely require additional resources in years to come.
An initial survey sent to more than 290 local clubs, organisations and educators identified the expected growth of individual sports. Sports such as cricket, gymnastics, and basketball are expected to have a membership increase over 11 per cent in the next three years, with larger sports like netball and rugby to either stay the same or increase by less than five per cent.
District council open spaces and strategy manager Mark Rykers said the plan “acknowledges that there are some sports struggling with increasing numbers of participants and the need to add additional space and rethink how the space is used.”
“This consultation is to help make sure we’re getting it right on where and what those projects need to be.”
Although there is currently 2.9 standard pools in the district, which meets the current demand of 2.5, the benchmarking found that 43 per cent of Selwyn’s pools are outdoor, compared to the Canterbury average of just 19 per cent. The plan indicated more indoor pool space will be considered for the development of a planned facility in the Malvern area in 2030/31.
The draft plan also found the 10 indoor courts in the district were sufficient for the current population of 73,600, with just one or two more needed by 2033.
Each individual sport has also been summarised with current issues that have been highlighted through the survey sent to stakeholders in the district, which the district council has considered potential solutions to.
Residents are able to provide their feedback on the district council’s draft plan until 5pm, December 9, with the final plan expected to be formally adopted in early 2023.
- Selwyn’s projected 2033 population – 99,600
- Almost 50 per cent of the district population will be in Rolleston and Lincoln in 2033.
- In 10 years, the largest age groups in Selwyn will be between 10-24.
- Over $85 million of current investments into sport and recreation infrastructure is planned from now until 2031.
- Football teams in the district rose 270 per cent from 47 teams to 128, between 2012 and 2019, while cricket team numbers doubled between 2014 and 2020.
•Submit your feedback at https://yoursay.selwyn.govt.nz
-By Jaime Cunningham
