3. Local participation

Transcription

1 33 Figure 1: New Zealand top 10 sports by club membership Source: Sport New Zealand & Local participation Locally, the top most popular club sports are rugby, football, cricket, netball, hockey, touch, basketball, volleyball, and swimming (refer to Appendix One). Figure 2 shows the trends in membership for the most popular sports by club membership in Palmerston North. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 169

2 34 Figure 2: Most popular sports by club membership in Palmerston North Rugby Football/soccer Cricket Netball Summer hockey Basketball Hockey Touch Volleyball Swimming Tennis Squash Source: Palmerston North City Council 39 Changes in the participation in different sports in the region are shown in Table Recreation Needs Assessment Sports Code Participation numbers 2014; Survey: Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 170

3 35 Table 5 Changes in regional participation in sports and active leisure Activity 2011 % of population 2014 % of population Increase /(Decrease) since 2011 Rugby % % -6% Football/soccer % % 6% Cricket % % 14% Netball % % -6% Summer hockey % % 33% Basketball 0.0% % Hockey % % 29% Touch % % 65% Volleyball 0.0% % Swimming % % -3% Tennis % % -2% Squash % % -5% Bowling 0 0.0% % Rugby league % % 1% Softball % % 47% Athletics % % 78% Table tennis 0 0.0% % Special Olympics % % 38% Badminton % % -16% Triathlon % % -15% Population 218, ,850 Source: Palmerston North City Council 40 Note. There are limitations to this assessment: Information provided by sports groups is assumed to be accurate and in some cases estimates were provided - team numbers may be known but not individual numbers Sports competitions held in Palmerston North serve a wider region including the Manawatū, Rangitikei, Horowhenua, Tararua and Whanganui areas. Further a number of codes host national competitions in Palmerston North Participation in sports also occurs outside of the membership structure, with a number of codes providing sports programmes in schools and organising events that include non-club participants. Sports with increasing club membership are: football, volleyball, touch, hockey, basketball, cricket, athletics, softball, and the Special Olympics. Sports with decreasing club membership are: rugby, netball, bowling, squash, tennis, and swimming, bowls, badminton, and triathlon. Local membership in winter and summer sports in Palmerston North Winter sports participation and membership has traditionally been used as a measure of demand for sport and recreation facilities. Membership is linked to both participation rates and population growth trends in the region. The proportion of the 40 Recreation Needs Assessment Sports Code Participation numbers 2014; Survey: Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 171

4 36 population participating in winter sports is higher than the proportion of people participating in summer sports. Winter and summer sports membership as a proportion of the population is relatively stable, with increases in summer membership significantly above population growth (refer to the Table 6 below). Trends from 1996 to 2014 indicate a 5% increase in winter membership and a 9% increase in summer membership compared to a 1% increase in the regional population. Table 6: Participation in winter and summer sports as a proportion of the regional population Year Regional Population Total winter member s Percent of winter members as a proportion of the population Total summer member Percent of summer members as a proportion of the population Total year round members Percent of all-year round members as a proportion of the population , % % 888 0% , % % 924 0% , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % 690 0% 62 0% , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % , % % % Source: Palmerston North City Council 41 Note. There are limitations to this assessment: There are gaps in the information collected from sports clubs, particularly between 2003 and 2010, which make it difficult to determine membership trends. The information provided by sports groups is assumed to be accurate and in some cases estimates were provided - team numbers may be recorded but not the number of individuals There have sometimes been changes in the way information is collected which make it difficult to draw conclusions about membership changes e.g. membership estimates based on the number of teams versus actual membership Participation in sports is growing outside of the membership structure, with a number of codes providing sports programmes in schools to increase participation and membership locally All councils in the region are experiencing population growth 41 Recreation Needs Assessment Sports Code Participation numbers 2014; Survey: Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 172

5 37 Significant decline in migration to Australia has contributed to high population growth in the younger age groups compared with the most recent long-term population projections. There is uncertainty over when migration to Australia will begin to recover or whether it will return to historic levels. This has implications for future population growth trends in the region Some sports are moving away from charging the traditional annual membership fees and charging fees on a more flexible pay-to-play basis. Pay-to-play fees are not recorded in annual subscriptions, and this can show as a decline in annual membership numbers. Influences on sports participation and membership in Palmerston North Local participation is influenced by a number of factors including: Other competing activities People choosing to play at centres other than their local centre Socio-economic factors (e.g. cost, travel times, accessibility) Development programmes and activities at the centre Availability of other competitions locally Quality of the facilities Capacity of the centre to accommodate additional teams Participation and membership costs Age Cultural preferences Compulsory School Sports e.g. swimming, athletics, and jogging/running. The tertiary sector, defence forces and Sport Manawatū influence sport in Palmerston North. Appendix Seven provides a summary of the non-council provided facilities available for public use. International Pacific University (IPU) IPU provides a recreation centre and sports fields for its students and clubs, such as futsal, dance, basketball and tennis. These activities include some public members. With the exception of school groups, IPU no longer hires its recreation centre for public use, however some fields (requiring drainage improvements) are available for general use. Massey University Massey University is a major provider of recreation facilities in Palmerston North. It provides on campus recreational opportunities to its staff and students. Access to University recreation facilities is through purchased membership. All facilities are available but University student use is given priority. The recreation centre is not open for casual use. Public use is generally limited to evenings and weekends outside Massey University club needs. There is limited public access available to the outdoor hard courts for netball and tennis. Linton Military Camp Linton Military Camp is a provider of recreation facilities in Palmerston North. It provides recreational opportunities to its staff, which reduces demand on Council owned facilities. Access to Linton Military Camp is restricted with entry subject to NZDF security regulations. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 173

6 38 There are approximately 2,400 personnel at Linton Military Camp, made up of soldiers, civilians and dependants, with further growth expected. The army is a significant contributor to the growth in the number of Māori and Pacific people in the City. Linton Military Camp hosts a multitude of NZDF level and Army level codes as well as local club competitions - rugby, rugby league, and football. Other Linton based clubs play on Council facilities for sports such as basketball, softball, netball, and volleyball. On a case-by-case basis Linton Military Camp also allows the camp environment to be used for Manawatū based clubs, such as triathlons and Cycle Manawatū. 42 The public use of facilities is restricted to the 18 hole golf course, three rugby fields, one rugby league field and one soccer field used in support of Linton Military teams in Manawatū based competitions. Sport Manawatū The vision of Sport Manawatū is Everyone Active Everyday. Its mission is to develop sport and recreation in the Manawatū region. The role of the organisation continues to evolve, with the emphasis on sports administration now shared with a role in increasing physical activity through creating, maintaining, and changing people s habits. With government agencies, such as those in the health and education sectors, mandated to achieve physical activity outcomes, this focus will be retained in the foreseeable future. Sport Manawatū staff levels have grown from 3.5 FTE in 1990 to 26 FTE in The Sports House facility, located at Sport Manawatū on Queen Street, in addition to being the base for Sport Manawatū staff, is also a sports hub, with eight regional sporting organisations currently based at the facility. This hub allows for both paid and volunteer administrators to access centralised resources. Sport Manawatū is exploring opportunities for a new purpose built Sports House facility, given the continued high demand from both regional and national sporting organisations to be accommodated in a central venue. There is currently a working partnership between the Council and Sport Manawatū regarding the possible development of Sports House at Arena Manawatu. This would allow for more sports to be housed centrally and to share resources. National competitions There has been a net increase in the number of national secondary school tournaments held in the City, many of which use the Arena. Refer to Appendix Eight for a list of secondary school tournaments held in Palmerston North. Palmerston North has excellent facilities for national cricket, golf, rugby, equestrian sport squash and athletics competitions. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the minimum requirements for hosting national and regional events are changing. For example, there is increasingly a preference to host competitions at one main venue. 42 Major M.A Pettersen, MNZM, Officer Commanding Linton Regional Support Centre. Personal Communication. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 174

7 39 National touch tournaments were previously hosted at Ongley Park, the only grounds large enough to host such events but this is used for cricket. Minimum requirements are for the provision of fields (15 preferable) to host national touch tournaments. Also, national hockey events now require a minimum three hockey turfs. There are a number of sports codes that would like to host regional or national tournaments in Palmerston North, but are currently struggling to secure adequate local venues for the larger events. 4. Trends that influence membership and participation This section summarises the broad trends that are likely to influence the shape of future sports and recreation participation/demand. Demographic trends Population numbers, age and ethnicity are all factors that influence participation and membership in different sports and demand for facilities. Changing demographics have the potential to significantly impact on the number of people playing any particular sport. The estimated residential population for Palmerston North for 2014 is approximately 85,500 people. 43 The latest Statistics New Zealand population projections (February 2015) suggest that Palmerston North s population will grow approximately 9% to 92,300 by There is a positive growth outlook (10%) for the Manawatū region (comprising the Manawatū District and Palmerston North) to 2028, as well as a trend towards an older population. The catchment area for sport played in Palmerston North includes the wider region comprising Rangitikei, Whanganui, Manawatū, Palmerston North, Tararua and Horowhenua. There is also a positive population growth outlook for the region of 4% ( ), with a trend towards an older population. However, growth in the wider region is influenced by a decline in the number of people living in the Whanganui (- 1%), Horowhenua (-1%), Tararua (-4%) and Rangitikei (-4%) districts, and therefore lags behind growth elsewhere. Age Palmerston North has a relatively young population compared to New Zealand. The medium age in 2014 was 33.5 years compared with 37.5 years for New Zealand overall. In the Manawatū region details of population growth are: Little or no change in the number of people 0-14 years (0%) Positive growth of the number of people years (21%) Decline of the number of people years (-20%) Positive growth of the number of people 65+ years (60%). 43 Source Statistics NZ Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 175

8 40 In the wider region details of population growth are: Decline of the number of people 0-14 years (-5%) Positive growth of the number of people years (15%) Decline of the number of people years (-20%) Positive growth of the number of people 65 years and older (50%) Figure 3, below, shows the projected changes in age structures for the sport playing or active population of the wider region to Figure 3: Projected change in regional age structures ( ) Source: Statistics New Zealand There is a regional trend towards an older population. The variation in growth across the different age bands reflects historic changes in the number of children born on an annual basis. This variation is not shown in the population projections, which suggest stable births will continue to cycle through future populations, subject to different influences, including future births and migration. Net migration has improved since the projections were prepared and this has contributed to an increase in the number of year olds in the population. Figure 4 highlights the overall projected regional decline, over the next 10 years, in the active population aged from 5-25 years and years. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 176

9 41 Figure 4: Projected change in regional age structures for 5 55 year olds ( ) Source: Statistics New Zealand base data 2013 long term population projections There has been a 10% increase from in the number of young people staying at school longer, rather than leaving to find a job. If it hadn t been for the global financial crisis in 2009 school rolls might have dropped further than shown in the Figure 5. Future secondary school participation will be based on a number of different influences, including future births and unemployment rates. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 177

10 42 Figure 5: School roll data by year group for wider region ( ) Source: Ministry of Education 2015 The Sport and Recreation in the Lives of Young New Zealanders Sport Manawatū/Sport Whanganui Regional Profile identified: A decline in participation in sport by year olds Rugby, basketball and football appeal most to year old boys, and netball, volleyball and badminton appeal most to year old girls Netball, touch rugby and football are more popular among the years age group than among the other age groups Aerobics is more popular among the years age group than the other age groups Canoeing/kayaking is more popular among the years age group than the other age groups Bowls, callisthenics and exercising at home are more popular among the 65 + years age group than the other age groups. People s preference for playing sport changes with age. Figure 6 (below) shows the change in preference for sport as people age, excluding walking, which is the most popular activity for all ages. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 178

11 43 Figure 6: Percent of people in sport and recreation activities by age group (excluding walking) Source: Palmerston North City Council 44 Different age groups tend to have different sport and recreation preferences and levels of participation. Participation in organised and team sports and recreation is higher for young people than older people. Participation rates for most sport and recreation activities are higher in the school setting than with clubs. 45 Based on projected population growth the Council can expect a 4-10% increase in demand for sport and recreation facilities. However, the types of facilities in demand will depend on the preferences of the majority groups within the population and how active they are. For example, the proportion of older people (60+ years) in the population is growing. Older people are more active than the people in the working age groups 46 and prefer lower impact sports, such as walking, golf, exercising at home, and callisthenics. Ethnicity Different ethnic groups may have different sport and recreation preferences. New Zealand is becoming increasingly more multi-cultural, the ethnic mix in New Zealand 44 Source: PNCC: Recreation Needs Assessment Sports Code Participation numbers 2014 and RNA Participation 45 Sport and Recreation in the Lives of Young New Zealanders New Zealand Young People s survey series. 46 Statistics New Zealand Time Use Survey 2009/10. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 179

12 44 is forecast to continue to diversify. There will be significant increases amongst populations identifying as Māori, Pacifika and Asian. In Palmerston North, the European ethnic group makes up approximately 80% of the population in Palmerston North, with Māori 17%, Pacific people 5% and Asian people 10% (2013). 47 Since 2004 Palmerston North has become a refugee resettlement centre and is taking an increasing proportion of New Zealand s total refugee intake. This change is also influencing the ethnic make up of Palmerston North. The Asian population in Palmerston North is projected to increase by 60% from 2013 to Overall the population is projected to increase 10% with projected increases of 1.5% for European; 66% for Pacific Island and 41% for Māori. By 2028, in Palmerston North, the ethnic percentage share of the population is projected to be European 73%, Māori 22%, Asian 15% and Pacific Island 7%. (Note this equals more than 100% because many people indentify with multiple ethnic groups). Activities popular with all ethnic groups include walking, swimming, equipment-based exercise, fishing and jogging/running. In some cases, however, different sports appeal to different ethnic groups: 48 Canoeing/kayaking is more popular among NZ European people than among other ethnic groups Touch rugby, netball and aerobics are more popular among Māori people than among many other ethnic groups Touch rugby, netball, volleyball and rugby are more popular among Pacific people than among many other ethnic groups Badminton, cricket and football are more popular among Asian people than among the other ethnic groups. Many of the needs identified for Māori are similar to other sectors of the population. However, overall there are some distinctive patterns of preference in terms of the types of activities, particularly team and collective activities. Understanding the needs of Māori is important because Māori represent 29% of 0-14 year olds in Palmerston North and this is projected to increase to 35% in Nationally, 74% of Māori boys and 64% of Māori girls like playing sport a lot. Also, 58% of Māori boys and 48% of Māori girls belong to a sports club (outside of school). 49 (See Table 7). Skateboarding and rugby league are more popular with Māori boys and Touch and Māori sports/activities (e.g. kapa haka) are more popular with Māori girls. Rugby is more popular with Māori (ranked 2 nd ) than with boys overall (ranked 6 th ). The Sport NZ research profiles of Māori sports participation (shown in Tables 7 and 8 below show that [w]hat boys and girls of different ages and ethnicities do and want to do are different, albeit some sports and activities are common to what all young people do/want to do : Statistics New Zealand 48 New-Zealand-Adults.pdf p p p. 11 Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 180

13 45 Māori boys were interested in playing rugby league and touch Māori girls were interested in playing touch Table 7 Top national participation sports for young Māori people Top national participation sports for young Māori people (2013) Activity Boys (%) Girls (%) Total Swimming % Running (cross country, jogging) % Athletics (run, jump, throw) % Cycling % Touch % Rugby, Rippa rugby 76 39% Football (soccer, futsal) 66 34% Walking for fitness 68 33% Basketball, mini-ball 59 30% Netball 61 30% Skateboarding 57 29% Māori activities (Kapa haka) 59 29% Rugby League 55 28% Gym sports, trampoline, aerobics 57 28% Dance (ballet, b-boy, b-girl) 55 27% Source: Sport NZ 51 Table 8: Top Māori participation sports for adult Māori people Source: Sport NZ 52 Top national participation sports for Māori adults (16+)(2013) Activity % Walking 47 Swimming 28 Fishing 28 Equipment-based exercise 22 Cycling 19 Jogging/running 18 Dance 13 Touch rugby 12 Netball 11 Aerobics 10 Associated with this preference for collective activities is an imperative for providing manakitanga or hospitality to competitors, participants and whanau or wider family 51 pg pg. 27 Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 181

14 46 supporters, in particularly young children and elders. Desirable characteristics for sports facilities from a Māori perspective, therefore, may include facilities for food preparation and providing hospitality consultation with local Māori revealed the following: Waka ama is a popular activity for Māori nationally and has been growing. There are no opportunities to take part locally Team sports, particularly softball, rugby league, rugby union, netball and touch are popular Iwi activities tend to use resources close to marae. This allows: o Support of marae o Caring for kaumatua and kuia, and o Ability to provide kai and perform hosting roles Cultural significance of recreation areas need to be considered Safety in all aspects is important. Different ethnic groups may have different sport and recreation preferences and levels of participation. Creating opportunities to make sport relevant to diverse ethnic groups, their cultures and economic situations will maintain and/or grow different sporting codes. An increasing future need is to ensure there are sport offerings that meet the needs of different ethnic groups. Economic trends 53 Economic trends have the potential to impact on the provision of services and facilities and the ability of the community to access them. Income Census data shows that income has increased from 2006 to Median personal income for residents of Palmerston North increased 16% to $27,000 between 2006 and 2013, and median household income grew to $58,500, an increase of 21%. There has been an increase in salary and wage income of 36.6% between 2006 and 2014 for people who are employed in Palmerston North while self-employment income for people who live in Palmerston North rose by 10.2%. In the wider region income from salaries and wages increased 29.4% and income from self-employment increased by 36.0%. Living costs have also increased, with a 17.4%. increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) between March 2006 and March Median rent in Palmerston North increased 39% to $250 in 2013 (NZ median rent was $280 in a 40% increase). Mortgage rates have decreased from 7.84% in 2006 to 5.59% in The average house value in March 2013 in Palmerston North was $284,000 compared to $429,000 for New Zealand. The large number of people in the low income group (largely tertiary students and people receiving Ministry of Social Development benefits) has declined since 1998, and the rise in real income levels now mirrors national changes. 53 Source: Statistics New Zealand Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 182

15 47 Work and the labour market Unemployment in Palmerston North increased from 5.1% in 2006 to 7.5% in 2013, slightly higher than the overall unemployment rate for New Zealand (7.1%). Of the total labour force 70.4% of people are employed full time with 22.1% employed part time. The number of people not in the labour force has also increased 15.8% from The number of people not in the labour force includes school children aged 15 years and over, older people, and people on benefits. As a share of the New Zealand population the number of people living in Palmerston North on disability benefits is high at 2.4% (compared with 1.9% nationally) because of affordable housing, access to health services and its flat terrain. Disability beneficiaries make up 7.6% of the wider region s population. More people are remaining in work after turning 65. Between 2006 and 2013 the number of people in work aged less than 50 years declined, with the biggest declines in the years age group, as young people struggle to get into the workforce but school rolls in years 12 and 13 increased. The proportion of women in the population is greater than the proportion of men. Men comprise 58% of the full-time workforce and 30% of the part-time workforce. Greater numbers of women are in the workforce creating a greater demand for childcare. Increased subsidies for childcare have also contributed to the growth in participation and average hours. Household trends and families The average household size in Palmerston North is 2.6, people with one-person households making up 25.3 percent of all households in Palmerston North. There is a trend in the family structure to single parent families. There has been a 10% increase ( ) in the number of single person households, primarily due to the ageing population. Also, the number of couples without children increased 4.5% ( ) along with the number of single parent families (3.1%). Retirement village units comprised 6% of new residential dwellings building consents over the last 10 years for Palmerston North. Many retirement villages offer older people opportunities for recreation by providing facilities for activities such as bowling, dancing, swimming and equipment-based exercise. Family type, disposable income and participation in the labour force impact on people s available time and ability to participate in sport and recreation activities. The opportunities available to young people in sport and recreation outside of the school environment are also impacted by family type, disposable income and their parent s participation in the labour force. Women are more likely to experience time restrictions than men, and consequently recreation opportunities for women are more limited. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 183

16 48 Social trends 54 Nationally, more people (86%) are living in urban centres, population growth is expected to end/slow in most rural areas but is growing strongly in rural areas fringing urban areas There is increasing utilisation of school land from sports clubs and sports organisations The traditional net losses to Australia could be changing Migration is bringing more ethnic groups to New Zealand Locally, older people will out-number children within 12 years and this change has already occurred in 22% of territorial authorities There remains a need for low-cost, neighbourhood access to sport or recreation opportunities for all. Health trends 55 New Zealand children have the third highest level of obesity in the OECD (11% of 2 to 14 year olds are obese and a further 22% overweight with higher levels among Māori and Pacific children) New Zealanders are living longer and spending more time in good health. However, while we can expect to live longer, some of that extra time will be lived in poor health Around one-quarter of the population are reporting some form of disability Māori and Pacific people have much higher levels of ill-health than do non- Māori and non-pacific ethnic groups While our participation rates in sport and recreation are currently high, people s lives are becoming more sedentary and obesity is on the rise, especially among young people The number of people on the Ministry of Social Development supported living benefit in Palmerston North is high compared to New Zealand overall. Urban growth The Council has confirmed the urban growth areas from Kelvin Grove to Whakarongo and Anders Road/Racecourse to City-West. The Whakarongo area is to provide for short to medium-term greenfield residential growth, while the City-West area is to provide for medium-to long-term residential growth. Continued greenfield residential development is planned in Kelvin Grove and the Aokautere/Summerhill area units respectively in the short-to medium-term. Within the Kelvin Grove area the Whakarongo Residential Area became operative in the District Plan in It is envisaged that the Whakarongo Residential Area will provide additional greenfield land supply to the market in the medium term. 56 Open space is also planned in Ashhurst and Napier Road residential areas in the proposed growth area in Plan Change 20. In 2012, as part of the boundary change with Manawatū District Palmerston North the Council took over approximately eight additional reserves including: Reserve land on the corner of Tutaki Road and Richardsons Line 54 New-Zealand-Adults.pdf p pp p. 6 Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 184

17 49 Bunnythorpe Park (26 Campbell Road) Bunnythorpe Cemetery (51 Maple Street). Demand for new residential urban growth areas has infrastructure and facilities, including the level of provision of reserve space, within 500m walking distance of residential areas. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Sports Membership and Participation 185

18 50 E. THE NEEDS OF SPORTING CODES 1. Objectives The objectives of this section are to: Identify whether current provision meets demand Estimate the future demand or oversupply for recreation land and facilities; and Consider if planned 10 Year Plan community projects will satisfy demand The method was: Sports administrators were surveyed Current levels of provision (supply) were established New supply planned in the 10 Year Plan were considered Current demand was assessed Likely future changes in demand were considered, and Areas where there is an over or under supply identified. Activities with like needs have been grouped under the common headings of: Summer field sports Winter field sports Indoor court sports Outdoor court sports Specialised facilities Many recreational activities have similar basic physical requirements and conversion from one code use to another is relatively simple. For example, conversion from a soccer field to a rugby field, or from a netball court to a tennis court can be reasonably easily achieved. Note: increasing membership and participation is not necessarily an indicator of demand for additional facilities. The limited operational and administrative capacity of some sports organisations, and the cost of providing additional fields markings, goal posts and administration, mean some organisation may prefer to manage increasing participation within the capacity of existing grounds and facilities. Also, as noted in the Recreation Needs Assessment 2005: Parents love centralisation - coming to one place to for all. Common themes: Need for improved changing and toilet facilities, particularly at larger sports grounds where the centralised activities are occurring Need for improved playing surface quality and drainage Need for improved lighting for training grounds and twilight games A preference for larger venues to provide sporting economics of scale and centralisation An increase in the number of programmes delivered to clusters of schools An increase in pay to play participation and shorter games using less space. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 186

19 51 2. Winter field sport Winter field sports include football, rugby, rugby league and hockey. Current provision, condition and performance The Council currently provides a range of grounds and facilities for winter field sports including approximately: 50 football/soccer fields 7 rugby league fields 40 rugby union fields 12 grass hockey fields (or 24 half sized junior fields) and 2 artificial hockey turfs (the Council contributed to the provision of these) 8 rugby and 2 football fields at Massey University 3 rugby and 1 football field at Linton Military Camp Grounds that provide lights include: Waterloo Park Takaro Park Ongley Park (2 locations) Coronation Park Monrad Park Colquhoun Park Bill Brown Park There is a good provision of facilities for sports with high rates of participation in Palmerston North. The Council s level of service targets to achieve the Active Recreation Strategy outcomes are based on the New Zealand Recreation Association benchmark rates. The Council has a level of service target for sports fields to provide more than 1.0 hectares of sports field per 1,000 residents. Palmerston North currently provides 1.7 hectares of sports fields per 1,000 residents. Figure 7 illustrates the provision of sports fields compared to peer cities with similar sized populations based on the Yardstick benchmarking. 57 Hamilton provides significantly more sport fields per 1,000 people, followed by Whangarei and Hastings, and then Palmerston North. Palmerston North provides more sport fields than Hutt City and a similar number to Tauranga City Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 187

20 52 Figure 7: Peer city comparision of sports playing field perovision per 1,000 people (2014) Note. Sports codes have the ability to draw up and add or remove fields, as and when required within the allocated grounds. Also, field allocations between the codes vary from year to year as Council officers seek to maximise the benefit of all codes, manage weather and drainage conditions and minimise the impact of play on the fields. The quality of the grass playing surfaces and winter sports field capacity varies depending on seasonal rainfall, ground conditions and maintenance, and how much rugby, rugby league, football and hockey is played. For example, 2015 was a very wet winter sports season that reduced the available field capacity and caused the cancellation of a number of games, particularly for junior hockey at Manawaroa/Ongley Parks and football at Colquhoun Park, Bill Brown Park and Skoglund Park. Rugby and rugby league ground conditions are described as good, but lighting at the Arena is poor. Typically, ground conditions deteriorate as the winter season progresses. Despite this, the rugby and rugby league field conditions in 2015 held up well against the higher rainfall and use, although the football fields did not. Football clubs are dissatisfied with the ongoing quality of the football playing surfaces. Holes and poor drainage are contributing to an increase in player injuries and impacting on the quality of the games played in Palmerston North. There is a lack of quality field surfaces for high level football games. The football playing surface quality varies from field to field depending on rainfall, drainage, and other factors and some fields don t handle the increased player traffic when games have to be shifted. Consequently, Central Football is struggling to find suitable all-season playing surfaces for some grades. The top level teams are travelling to play games on higher quality surfaces, such as the artificial turf surfaces in Wellington, and this Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 188

21 53 may be increasing the players preference for a better quality, more durable allweather artificial playing surfaces. Junior hockey is experiencing similar problems. Junior hockey in Palmerston North is played on the grass, and intermediate and senior hockey is played on the artificial turf (the twin turfs). The junior hockey playing surfaces are poorly drained and slumping in places, and this is reducing the capacity of half the fields and increasing the pressure on others. This is also affecting the quality of the game, as games are regularly cancelled during periods of wet weather. The senior and intermediate artificial hockey turfs are in good condition but are due to be renewed within the next two to three years. Rugby league uses Fitzherbert Park and the Arena fields for competition and training. Fitzherbert Park was upgraded in 2013 and is in good condition. The rugby league season crosses over with rugby in winter and cricket in summer. At the start of winter, rugby league is played over the cricket outfield and blocks. The harder surface can increase player injuries and restrict the use of the fields for pre-or start of season games. Central Football would like an artificial turf to improve the quality of games played in Palmerston North and to provide a more reliable and better quality playing surface for higher level games, as well as regional and national competitions. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan The 10 Year Plan provides for new capital for: Memorial Park - Capital development programme ( ) ($206,000) Development of a new artificial sports field (subject to part external funding) (2019, 2020, and 2021) ($1,706,000) New public toilets City-wide ( ) ($2,066,000) Shade development (2016/17, 2018/19, and 2020/21) ($81,000) Drinking fountains at recreational facilities ( ) ($92,000) Sports field drainage increased capacity ( ) ($406,000). Improved lighting of recreation spaces over the next 10 years ($226,000) Memorial Park changing room upgrade contribution (subject to part external funding) (2020/21) ($387,000) The Arena stadium covered embankment and pits area (subject to part external funding) (2017/18) ($2,000,000) Arena Master plan priority projects ( ) ($9,794,000) Lincoln Park, Ashhurst sport field car park sealing (2015/16) ($210,000) Other programmes include: Public toilet refurbishment and replacement ( ) Sports field changing room refurbishments ( ) City-wide public toilet refurbishment and replacement ( ) City-wide sports field carpark and hard surface area resurfacing every second year ( ) Memorial Park sports field sand carpet replacement (2019/20) Hockey turf refurbishment (subject to part external funding) (2017/18 and 2019/20) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 189

22 54 A grant of up to $500,000 (the Council s share of the total cost of $1.5m) for construction of a third national level hockey turf in the City (subject to part external funding) (2017). Supply and demand A large number of people play winter field sports. Football, rugby and hockey all have a high rate of participation, with football and rugby the most popular winter sports, followed by hockey. Membership for football, hockey and rugby league has been increasing, and numbers are nearing past highs, whereas rugby membership is declining. Currently all the Council owned sports fields are allocated to a winter sport. Nationally, more people participate in football (adults and young people) than in any other organised club sport. The New Zealand Football Facilities Strategy looked at demand for regular weekly sport, compared with the supply of fields, and shows a surplus of football fields in terms of hours of use per week for the Manawatū region. However, this trend is not reflected in Palmerston North. Field conditions vary significantly depending on winter conditions and field capacity, and football participation is increasing. There are approximately 50 winter football fields including four football training fields. Currently, there are plenty of football fields available for football games, but a lack of fields for training. Existing fields are not being used, or not used to their full capacity, because of poor drainage, rainfall and a lack of durability. Other fields are struggling to cope with increased demand on account of other field closures, rainfall and use. Football has a limited ability to reschedule games cancelled due to poor weather as the football season runs for approximately 20 weeks and fields are used for other sports. There is a shortage of good quality and reliable football playing surfaces in the City, and this is having a detrimental effect on the quality of the game because of cancellations and increasing use. The Council has budgeted in the 10 Year Plan to improve field drainage and also for the development of a new artificial turf. This will resolve many of the issues for football and will provide sufficient surplus capacity to increase participation in football or enable the reallocate fields for use by other sports. Participation in intermediate and senior hockey has been increasing. The grass fields, used by junior hockey, are currently meeting demand, but poor drainage is causing constraints on some parts of the grounds and increasing pressure on other parts. Junior hockey participation is increasing, but there is limited capacity to increase the number of junior games unless drainage and field capacity issues are resolved. Demand for the twin turfs is on or near the tipping point (maximum capacity) for a new turf, and planning needs to start for some additional turf capacity to reduce demand issues. Use of the twin turf is on or over 54 hours per FTE turf (or 108 hours for two turfs) and depends on the draw. Accessibility of the turfs is recognised as being at the upper limits for hours of use. Hockey New Zealand and Hockey Manawatū observe there is an erosion of the quality of the game, with difficulty 58 Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 190

23 55 getting adequate trainings and games, with some sessions finishing late in the evening. Existing turf use by intermediate and senior players falls short of the numbers required for a 1.0 FTE turf, but is nearing the demand required for an additional 0.25 or 0.5 FTE turf. An additional 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE is required to meet peak demand for games and competitions. The Council has budgeted to invest $500k (subject to part external funding) in a new turf in 2017/18 in partnership with Hockey Manawatū and a third party. This would provide sufficient field space to increase participation in hockey. Hockey Manawatū would like additional seating to increase seating capacity at tournaments, as well as more space between the turf and seating for spectators. It was noted in the 10 Year Plan hearings that there is some of the movable seating at the Arena that could be located at the hockey turfs. However seats would need to be available, as a priority, to the Arena. The Council is to work with users regarding arrangements for transport to and from Arena, and associated costs. Rugby league facilities include fields at Arena, Coronation Park, Fitzherbert Park Oval, Monrad Park and Linton Military Camp. Rugby league participation is increasing and in 2015 Manawatū Rugby League capped the number of teams. It is also considering shifting some games to other nights or later times, depending on the availability of lighting and access to toilet and changing facilities, in order to grow participation. Rugby league currently shares its grounds with rugby and cricket and would like a ground dedicated for use by Manawatū Rugby League. Sharing Fitzherbert Park with cricket can shorten the league playing season, with end of season games shifted to the Arena to make way for cricket. Rugby facilities are centralised at the Arena Manawatū. Participation in rugby is high but has been declining. In 2014 three rugby fields were relinquished at the Ashhurst domain for football use in exchange for a field at Colquhoun Park. Also, two Rippa Rugby fields were added at Cloverlea Park with plans to increase this to four fields next season. According to the Manawatū Rugby Union there will be more mid-week rugby school programmes and more mid-week games in the future rather than more traditional Saturday games, thus reducing pressure on grounds on Saturdays. The Manawatū Rugby Union is relatively happy with the number and quality of fields available for rugby, which includes some spare capacity if needed to accommodate an increase in rugby participation. However, there is limited flexibility to play night rugby in the City due to poor lighting. The Rugby Union would like the flexibility to play under lights mid-week as a way of moving away from traditional Saturday afternoon games. Also, rugby supporters have been suggesting the Arena is lacking a further grandstand and has capacity and quality shortcomings compared to some other Council facilities. If rugby membership continues to decline there may be an opportunity to swap the use of surplus fields for use by other sports organisation. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 191

24 56 Training grounds The Council provides approximately 11 winter training grounds. Lighting is a major limiting factor in the use of training grounds. There are insufficient training fields for football and existing fields, such as Waterloo Park and Takaro Park are heavily used, which impacts on the durability of the playing surfaces. Other sports codes, such as rugby league, have been encroaching on Takaro fields allocated for football training and this is impacting on the training field capacity for football, depending on who gets to the field first. Also, some fields lack sufficient car parking and changing/toilet facilities. Central Football has explored use of other fields for training purposes but doesn t want to reduce the quality of the existing playing fields for games caused by training wear and tear. Playing surfaces tend not to be used for training due to the detrimental use for training on the quality of the playing surfaces for games. The changing rooms at Colquhoun Park do not currently meet demand because they are communal and the clubs would like them upgraded. The Rugby Union and Rugby League did not comment on the use of existing training grounds and there are therefore assumed to be an adequate supply of fields for training. The programmes in the 10 Year Plan for an additional artificial sports turf and the Council s contribution towards an additional hockey turf will provide sufficient surplus capacity to accommodate an increase winter sports participation. Summary Winter field sports are high participation sports. There is currently a good provision of fields that meet current demand. There are also some unused fields that are in need of improvement for use in winter - for example the middle of the Manawatū Community Athletics Track, and the International Pacific University fields. More field space is needed for rugby league, football training and hockey to enable continued centralisation of the sports as participation grows and to host large tournaments. The 10 Year Plan programmes, such as improved drainage projects and development of artificial turfs will address playing surface quality issues and accommodate any growth in winter sports participation for some years. As participation in the different sports changes there will be opportunities to reallocation of existing fields between the different winter sports codes to benefit all, particularly if capacity increases as a result of improved drainage and the addition of the artificial turfs. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 192

25 57 3. Summer field sport Summer sports include cricket, touch, football, summer hockey and softball. Current provision, condition and performance Council currently provides a range of reserve grounds for summer field sports for the codes to mark out their playing areas. This includes approximately: 19 artificial cricket wickets 33 grass cricket wickets 29 touch fields 10 summer football fields 10 softball fields and two softball skin diamonds two artificial hockey turfs School fields are being used to supplement the supply of fields and Massey University also has a cricket pitch. The sports codes have the ability to add or remove fields as and when required within the allocated grounds. Summer sports administrators are generally happy with the quality of the playing surfaces provided by the Council. Fields are more durable in summer than in winter so there are fewer restrictions on the number of games that can be played over the season. There are issues with the quality of the playing surfaces during the transition from winter to summer sports (and vice versa), particularly for cricket and touch, which shares fields with winter rugby and football. Surface maintenance is undertaken at the end of each season, but this can be delayed by poor weather and/or an extend sports seasons. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan The 10 Year Plan provides for new capital for: Development of a new artificial sports field (subject to part external funding) (2019, 2020, and 2021) ($1,706,000) New public toilets City-wide ( ) ($2,066,000) Shade development (2016/17, 2018/19, and 2020/21) ($81,000) Drinking fountains at recreational facilities ( ) ($92,000) Sports field drainage increased capacity ( ) ($406,000). Other programmes include: Cricket blocks replacement at Fitzherbert Park and Manawaroa/Ongley Parks every second year (2015/ /24) Fitzherbert Park and Manawaroa/Ongley Parks cricket wickets renovations every second year (2016/ /25) Sports fields changing room refurbishments ( ) City-wide public toilet refurbishment and replacement ( ) City-wide sports field carpark and hard surface area resurfacing every second year ( ) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 193

26 58 Hockey turf refurbishment (subject to part external funding) (2017/18 and 2019/20) Note. A grant of up to $500,000, being the Council s share of the cost of $1.5m, for construction of a third national level hockey turf in the City (subject to part external funding) (2017). Supply and demand Participation in cricket, touch, softball and hockey is increasing and is nearing past highs. Futsal is a relatively new game with steadily growing participation. There is an increase in participation in pay to play sports games and programmes in schools. This is reflected as an increase in cricket participation because pay to play and school programmes, such as Kiwi Cricket, were not previously included in the membership numbers. Pay-to play sports games are changing the way some sports games are played and how much field space is use per game, with less field space needed. Cricket has a high rate of participation and is using all the space available for cricket, including school grounds, which are used to supplement field space. Manawatū Cricket is concerned with what might happen if participation continues to increase and access to school grounds becomes restricted. Despite using all the space available, cricket is well catered for in the City and Manawatū Cricket has not asked for more field space. However, it would like to upgrade Fitzherbert Park to create a facility that will attract high profile matches. Softball and touch rugby share Colquhoun Park. This has worked well as touch is played mid-week and softball is played in the weekends. Softball is well catered for with additional space available at Colquhoun Park if participation continues to grow. Touch rugby junior and adult competitions are at capacity with regards to fields and times and touch has started capping the number of teams entered into adult competitions to avoid splitting competitions onto other fields. The Manawatū Touch Association would like more space at Colquhoun Park and could extend the area used, but this would encroach on softball pitches/fields which is problematic if field lines have to be redrawn each week. There are options for some competitions to be run on different nights to accommodate increased participation but this means splitting competitions. Manawatū Touch used to host national tournaments in Palmerston North, and would like to do so again, but the most suitable grounds are allocated to other sports (for example, cricket at Ongley Park). Registrations are not kept for summer football, but anecdotal evidence suggests participation is increasing. Summer football is played on outside fields with Arena Manawatū as the main outdoor venue. There is capacity near the Marist clubrooms to accommodate increased participation, if needed. However, there are currently insufficient numbers to justify the costs of providing additional space for summer football. There are fields with space available that could be used to accommodate summer sports. Currently, fields with no booked organised sport in summer include: Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 194

27 59 Alexander Park (also unused for organised sport in winter) Bill Brown Park Bunnythorpe Celaeno Park Mahanga Kakariki Reserve Rangitane Park Savage Reserve Waterloo Park There may also be potential opportunities to use school, Massey University, or Linton Military Camp facilities. Despite the space available, some sports organisations are reluctant to expand the competitions by splitting on to other fields or playing games on different days because of the additional operational and administrative burden, and the cost of splitting competitions between different venues. It is noted that there is a lack of out of hours access to toilet facilities at some parks for children playing and sports training (for example at Colquhoun Park and Memorial Park). The toilet facilities at Colquhoun Park are not conveniently located and people have to travel a long way to get to the toilets. While there are programmes in the 10 Year plan to improve toilet facilities it is unclear if this will provide for afterhours use of toilets and changing facilities. There are no issues with the supply of training fields. Training field allocation and management can be dealt by the Council as any issues arise. The programmes in the 10 Year Plan for an additional artificial sports turf, and the Council s contribution towards an additional hockey turf, will provide sufficient surplus capacity to grow summer sports participation. Summary There is a good provision of quality fields for summer sports and capacity to accommodate any increase in summer sport. However, this may require a shift to other nights or other venues, which can increase demand for club resources. There is demand for sports to be able to accommodate increases in participation without having to shift to another venue or night to keep operational and administrative burdens within club /sport resources. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 195

28 60 4. Outdoor court sport Summer outdoor court sports include tennis and netball. Netball is also the only winter organised outdoor court sport. Tennis and netball are centralised at Vautier Park. Current provision, condition and performance The table below lists the location and number of outdoor courts provided by the Council. Four courts at Vautier Park have a specialised rubberised surface (rebound pro). Two courts are provided at Bill Brown Park, but are unused. There are eight courts at Massey University that were constructed with Council assistance and are available for public use. Tennis court provision Awapuni Park 4 Bill Brown Park 2 Colquhoun Park 4 Lakemba Reserve 1 Takaro Park 6 Vautier Park 17 Wallace Park 8 Note. Wallace Park courts were relinquished by netball in 2010 when netball started using the Arena. The Manawatū Lawn Tennis Club owns and maintains eight tennis courts at the Huia Street Reserve, which are in good condition. Massey University also provides eight outdoor courts (four netball and four tennis) which add significant existing capacity. There is also one beach and one grass volleyball court at Massey University. Vautier Park is the City s central netball facility with five netball courts and 12 dual purpose netball and tennis courts, including a set of three pro surfaced courts as requested by Tennis Manawatū. The quality of many of the courts at Vautier Park is generally good, with accessibility improvements having been made and the renewal of failing court surfaces 1-6 completed. Lights are provided for 12 netball courts at Vautier Park and shade/shelter facilities were added in 2014 and Netball uses five of the Vautier Park courts for a summer business house league. Netball also uses the Arena indoor sports courts for winter and summer competition and major tournaments. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan The 10 Year Plan provides for new capital for: New public toilets City-wide ( ) ($2,066,000) Shade development (2016/17, 2018/19, and 2020/21) ($81,000) Drinking fountains at recreational facilities ( ) ($92,000) Improved lighting of recreation spaces ( ) ($226,000). Other programmes include: City-wide public toilet refurbishment and replacement ( ) Vautier Park court refurbishments ( and 2025) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 196

29 61 Sports field hard surfaces renewals at Takaro, Wallace and Awapuni courts ( and 2023/24). Supply and demand Tennis club membership has been declining and continues to decline. According to Tennis Manawatū there has been an increase in the number of casual tennis players. Existing facilities mostly meet current tennis needs. There is no shortage of tennis courts available for organised and casual play throughout the City, with a number of unused tennis courts that could be repurposed, such as at Takaro Park. In addition there are tennis courts provided by some schools. Tennis Manawatū wants more localised courts (clubs) in closer proximity to where people are living. Tennis would also like an indoor facility to provide for all-weather use, as there are currently no available suitable indoor tennis facilities. It has been suggested the vacant land at Huia Reserve would suit the need for an indoor tennis facility. Netball has centralised to Vautier Park, which mostly meets Netball Manawatū s needs. Netball has a high participation rate but winter netball membership has been declining. Netball Manawatū also runs a summer business house social league that recently moved outdoors to Vautier Park because of a lack of availability of space on a Wednesday night at the Arena. This Manawatū social league is held at Vautier Park, on the five back courts not used for tennis. The use of Vautier Park in summer is limited to a few courts because the courts are currently allocated for tennis. There is little or no capacity for growth in summer netball and no ability to extend the outdoor social league, as there is limited access to lights and thre are not enough courts available for netball. There may be an opportunity for netball to use the unused tennis courts at Vautier Park for summer netball. There is capacity for netball at many other hardcourt facilities if demand required it and grades were separated rather than centralised. For example, six courts could be accommodated at Wallace Park and four at Takaro Park. However, the trend is towards indoor rather than outdoor play, and Netball Manawatū would like the use of more indoor netball space in winter and summer to run netball programmes. Summary There is a good provision of good quality courts to meet the current and future needs of outdoor court sports in both summer and winter. There may be opportunities to reallocate existing court space between summer netball and tennis for the benefit of both sports. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 197

30 62 5. Indoor court sport Central Energy Trust Arena The summer indoor court sports include netball, inline hockey, squash and futsal. The winter indoor court sports include basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and indoor bowls. Netball Manawatū also uses the Arena for regional and national tournaments during winter. The provision of indoor court space in Palmerston North is dominated by the facilities at the Arena, with school halls/gyms used to supplement supply, which are all multipurpose facilities. Massey University also provides some indoor court space for staff, students and recreation centre members. Council Direction The Council intends to develop the Arena as a central hub for sports. A Master Plan of the Arena was commissioned by the Council in April 2007 to provide a long-term approach to the site and act as a site guide for next years. The Master Plan was intended to provide a framework for work as and when the Council deemed it necessary. Developments were proposed to take place over three phases: Sports House (2008/09) Upgrades to FMG Stadium (2009/10 Development of new indoor facilities (2014/15). Use of the Arena has been subject to two reviews: The Visitor Solutions Arena Manawatū Review, Final Report for Palmerston North City Council, February 2012 An operational review of the Arena was undertaken and reported to Council 19 June The reviews noted: The practice is to hire spaces rather than courts, and there is insufficient quality data to determine if use of the Arenas is optimised It is not possible to identify the need for additional space above current levels of provision. However, an upgrade or replacement of existing facilities may be warranted dependant on a cost benefit analysis (underpinned by the currently unavailable data) The priority is likely to be for better quality facilities which are more functional and flexible rather than a net expansion of indoor space on the site Increased competition from other regions facility developments make it increasingly more difficult to bid for and host major events Community sport is likely to remain or become even more important to Arena Manawatu in the future Indoor court provision, condition and performance The school and City halls and the Arena are multi-purpose facilities; that is they are not designed to accommodate the specific needs of each sport. 59 Arena Manawatu Report 19 June 2015 Final (2)pdf Arena Manawatu LGA Section 17A Delivery of Services Review Operational Review June Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 198

31 63 The Arena is a multi-purpose (15 hectares), sports and events facility, providing 20 individual indoor and outdoor sport venues. The Arena comprises a fully lit, sandbased grass sports field, encircled by a hard-packed clay speedway circuit used throughout the summer season. Covered grandstand seating for 3,500 people, plus room for up to 8,000 people on the embankment, provides for a total of 11,500 spectators for major sports events. The Arena also comprises: Arena 2, a multi-purpose indoor stadium with sprung wooden flooring. With a floor area of 3,400m 2, the versatile building provides space for up to 20 badminton courts, five basketball courts or three netball courts Arena 3 and 4, which are directly connected to Arena 2, expanding the area available by 2,100 m 2 and 6,400m 2 respectively Arena 5, a collection of smaller indoor facilities for sports, events and functions Arena 6, which consists of a further four hectares of grass sports field space Additional single purpose spaces i.e. for gym sports, table tennis and roller skating/blading. Of all the Arena assets 85% (by value) are in very good condition. The Arena 1, Arena 2, and B & M Centre are newer facilities that are in good condition. The appearance of some buildings falls below that expected by users. 60 Most of these buildings are associated with storage sheds and support buildings, whereas the vast majority of the public spaces range in condition from good to very good. Arena 3 is in average condition. Arena 5 (Waldegrave Lounge, Bell and Barber Halls) is a facility in poor condition and reaching the end of its useful life. The Council has a target of 90% 61 of user groups either satisfied or very satisfied with usage of Arena. Satisfaction currently sits at 78% 62 indicating that there is room for improvement in terms of delivering defined services to a level that meets customer expectations. The facilities at Arena 2, 3 and 4 are of a good condition. The sports code bodies are generally very happy with the quality of the Arena and management of it. The condition and performance of existing indoor facilities do not meet the specific needs of some sports. For example, Manawatū Badminton has found the floors in the halls to be very slippery and to have little grip, due to the coating used on the floor, the usage from other sports and the build-up of dirt and dust. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan The Council has budgeted $9,794,000 over the next 10 years for implementation of four Master plan priority projects. The 10 Year Plan provides for new capital for: Improved lighting of recreation spaces over the next 10 years ($226,000) 60 Recreation and Community Facilities Asset Management Plan Recreation and Community Facilities Asset Management Plan Arena Manawatu LGA Section 17A Delivery of Services Review Operational Review, June Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 199

32 64 The Arena stadium covered embankment and pits area (subject to the community matching the Council funding) (2017/18) ($2,000,000) Arena Master plan priority projects ( ) ($9,794,000) The Arena Master plan projects include: A new Cuba Street entrance with better links to the CDB Retractable seating for Arena 2 Floodlights for the rear fields Improving other entrances and replacing the buildings off Waldegrave Street. Note. A preliminary review of indoor court space indicated there is no need for extra courts, so the programme that was in the 10 Year Plan has been removed. Supply and demand Indoor court sport membership is static or increasing with increasing membership in volleyball, basketball, futsal, Special Olympics and summer netball. Facilities at the Arena provide regular access to more than 40 community based sporting and recreation user organisations. It has also been successful in gaining several significant international and national sporting and social events. Currently in excess of 2,070 bookings are handled annually with a total of 12,750 hours of use in 2013/14. The Arena is also used for a number of non-sporting and commercial events that reduces the capacity for sporting use. The Council s target is for each of the arenas to be available for 85 hours per week (50 hours per week during peak time and 35 hours during non-peak time) for 48 weeks per annum (2,400 hours in total). The Asset Management Plan level of service target for Arena utilisation is 80% community and 20% commercial. In 2013/2014 utilisation was reported as 77% community and 23% commercial total hours used. According to the operational review of Arena undertaken and reported to Council in 19 June 2015, the amount of spare capacity is available at the Arena is unknown because indoor spaces are hired rather than courts. A hirer may hire a space but not use the space to capacity. It was concluded that there is spare capacity during the daytime and on weekends. 65 Arena primary hours of use are 3.30pm to 10.30pm weekdays (7 hours per day or 35 hours per week) plus 8.30am-12pm (3.5 hours) Saturdays and 2pm-9pm Sundays (7 hours). The overall hours of use for the Arena provided shown in Figure 8 shows a decline in the hours of use from 2009/10 until 2013/14. However, the high utilisation in earlier years included both hire of seating that was used off-site and utilisation of the arenas. Utilisation figures do not include time taken to bump-in and bump-out for events. Also, during this time space was not available for other purposes, and is for the most part being paid for Arena Manawatu Report 19 June 2015 Final (2) final _web.pdf. 65 Arena Manawatu LGA Section 17A Delivery of Services Review Operational Review, June Arena Manawatu Report 19 June 2015 Final (2) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 200

33 65 Figure 8: Arena annual overall hours of use Source: Arena Manawatū Report 19 June 2015 Final (2) Note. According to a review of the Arena undertaken and reported to Council 19 June 2015: 67 Pay-to-play social leagues may be popular and succeed, but the highest demand will occur at peak times when the Arena is already booked There is a conflict at times between events and regular sports users Use of the Stadium has increased over the past four years, with the majority of the increase in hours of use attributed to the increase in the use of indoor space (VS Report 2012). Further, there has been a net increase in the number of national secondary school tournaments held in the City, which use the Arena. Consequently, some sports clubs are struggling to secure all-season use of the same venue week after week, as well as dates for significant tournaments at the times needed. The sports are also struggling to secure additional space to grow their sport and are capping the team numbers. For example, volleyball membership entries in 2015 were capped as numbers reached capacity for the B&M Centre and Ballroom facilities. A large number of people are playing basketball and participation is increasing. Basketball is played at a number of venues throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena and the Palmerston North Basketball Association would like the use of more of the Arena indoor spaces on existing club nights for example for Thursday 67 Extract from Arena Manawatu Report 19 June 2015 Final (2)pdf Arena Manawatu LGA Section 17A Delivery of Services Review Operational Review June Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 201

34 66 night leagues. The Association would also like better spectator seating and space around courts for seating. Volleyball membership is fairly static but Palmerston North Volleyball said its numbers are increasing. Volleyball is played at a number of halls throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena Manawatū. Team entries were capped in 2015 as numbers reached capacity for the B & M Centre and Ballroom facilities. Increasing volleyball participation is limited by the number of courts available and Palmerston North Volleyball would like the use of more indoor courts. Netball facilities are generally centralised at Vautier Park but Netball Manawatū uses the Arena for high level tournaments and runs an indoor summer netball competitive league on a Tuesday night in the B & M Centre involving about 16 teams. Capacity at Arena Manawatū meets current demand, but there is no spare capacity to grow the summer competitive league as additional space depends on the availability of other Arena indoor space, such as the Ballroom. Netball Manawatū has also struggled to secure dates for significant tournaments at the times needed because of clashes with other one-off events or sports competitions. Badminton is played at a number of different halls throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena Manawatū. Badminton membership is fairly static. There is plenty of existing and future capacity for badminton at the Arena with 24 permanently marked courts and space for up to 45 if needed. The Arena does not cater specifically for the needs of badminton and Manawatū Badminton would like a venue designed to their needs to improve the quality of that game clubs games, training and hosting of the New Zealand league. Futsal is played indoors with Arena Manawatū the main venue. There were approximately 330 people playing futsal in term 4 of There is currently no available trend data as it is a fairly new sport, but the Central Football has indicated that participation numbers in futsal appear to be increasing. Central Football is generally very happy with the quality of the venue and management of it. Use of Arena is shared with other sports and futsal is struggling to secure seasonal use of the same venue week after week due to clashes with national events. Central Football is trying to grow futsal participation and membership and would like to host a national league but is capping team numbers until there are sufficient numbers to justify use of additional space. Note. There are plans to add a large futsal court to Arena 3 at the end of 2015 and this will provide increased capacity to grow futsal participation. Less popular sports are struggling to secure indoor venues. For example, in 2006 inline hockey was relocated out of the Arena and the space it occupied was converted to three netball sized courts increasing the capacity for netball by around 25%. Inline hockey is still looking for a suitable alternative indoor venue. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 202

35 67 Squash Courts The main venue for squash is the Inspire Squash Gym on Linton Street. This is not a Council owned facility. There are also two squash courts at Ashhurst Village Valley Centre and three courts at Massey University Recreation Centre. The Inspire Squash gym has eight glass back squash courts including a championship gallery court and three ASB courts with 'movable wall' courts to enable doubles play on full-sized courts. The squash facilities are of a high quality and the facilities are host to five national tournaments. Squash participation has been increasing steadily, despite squash players declining by 5% as a proportion of the population from Squash is currently well provided for at the Inspire Squash Gym on Linton Street with spare capacity to grow membership. Summary There is high demand for the Arena indoor space, particularly at peak times, and this is creating an under capacity for indoor court sport at the times the sports are being run. It is widely recognised that there are peak demand issues for indoor space at the Arena and sports groups are capping team numbers and also struggling to secure all season use of indoor court space for seasonal competitions and space for major sporting events. Demand for indoor sports courts and space is increasing, but there is no spare capacity to grow participation in sports, particularly at peak times. Commercial use of the venue may be one of the reasons that sports groups are struggling to secure space. Clashes in demand for the City s central hub for sports are frustrating for sports users, who are competing with other sports to find suitable alternative venues. This is impacting the administration of the different sports and the quality of the games. The Visitor Solutions review in 2012 suggested more robust data was required to of Arena space to fully understand the use of existing capacity at each of the indoor arenas, and the operational review of the Arena suggested that courts, rather than space, should be hired to maximise use of unused court space for other sports codes or for casual use. The reviews both suggest a sharing of existing space as a possible solution to increasing demand, and participation could be used in some cases to enable different sports to play at the same times. However, it is not always practical for different sports codes to share the same space, despite any spare capacity. This is because of the nature of the different sports and the different configurations of the way the different sports courts are organised. More good quality, flexible indoor space with sufficient space around courts for umpires and spectators is required at the Arena to ensure there are courts available at the peak times sports are played. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 203

36 68 6. Aquatic facilities Aquatic sports include swimming, canoe polo, flipper ball, and canoeing. The Active Recreation Strategy noted that there is a good level of provision and accessibility for swimming pool space in the City for swimming clubs. Aquatic facility provision, condition and performance Aquatic facilities include: The Lido has a 50m outdoor pool, a 25m indoor pool, a diving pool, learners pool and indoor and outdoor leisure pools. The facility also features hydro slides, spa, sauna and steam rooms, a gym, water play facility and large grassed play areas. A new hydro slide was installed in 2014, giving the Lido two hydro slides one indoor and one outdoor Freyberg Community Pool is a Council owned facility located on Freyberg School land. The Freyberg Community Pool facilities consist of a 25m indoor pool with wheel chair ramp and also a safe toddlers' pool with an adjoining beach area. Memorial Park has a free open air pool with a paddling area and shallow swimming area suitable for families Victoria Esplanade has a free open air paddling pool suitable for toddlers There are permanent canoe polo facilities on the Hokowhitu Lagoon and non- Council canoeing facilities thirty minutes south of the City at the Mangahou Reserve white water park a world-class 300m white water slalom and freestyle course. Note. CLM manage the day-to-day running of the Lido and Freyberg pools. Some school sports grounds and facilities are used to supplement public supply. Publically available non-council owned swimming pools include: H2O gym at Palmerston North Boys High School, West End Aquatic Centre, and the Ashhurst Community Pool (Ashhurst School). The Lido Aquatic Centre and Freyberg Community Pool are in a generally good condition. The Freyberg Community Pool is in good condition and adequate for competition swimming, but is not quite big enough for canoeing. Lido Aquatic Centre is described by Swimming Manawatū as tired. It is good as a training facility but not suitable for competition swimming, with diving only at one end of the pool due to pool depth. Also, the Lido starting blocks are slippery and consequently pose a danger to athletes when competing. There are issues with a lack of water in summer at the Lagoon. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan The 10 Year Plan provides for new capital for: Modification of the toddler pool at the Freyberg Community Pool ( ) $278,000 Improvements to the Canoe Polo Club court at the Hokowhitu Lagoon Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 204

37 69 Note. The Council removed the 10 Year Plan programme ( ) for improvements to the outdoor area and the internal/external layout at the Lido. Trends affecting swimming pools 68 National Facilities Strategy for Swimming New Zealand (2011) noted: There is a drive from health authorities for increased physical activity to counter increasingly sedentary lifestyles that is impacting on aquatic facilities There is significant growth in demand from the older adult market for low impact physical activity options because water is a supportive medium for exercise, requiring a change in the mix of facilities and services offered There are increasing expectations of users regarding levels of service, quality of facility and experience There is a general decline in available lap pool time for casual use but an increase in programmed use of swimming pools, due in part to the proliferation of activity options High-performance athletes are seeking the highest quality coaching, facilities and support services such as sports science and sports medicine and migrating to major urban centres offering these high-quality option The Ministry of Education has not funded capital for pools for many years and is unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future unless learning to swim becomes a more explicit education goal in the core curriculum Commercial aquatic facilities are increasingly commonplace, particularly in larger urban population centres. Key markets are learn to swim, stroke improvement, fitness swimming and squad training Co-location of aquatic facilities within a precinct to create a major recreation and sport destination is becoming more commonplace The creation of large complexes with several sport and recreation activity facilities (often wet and dry ) is increasingly common An increasingly common feature is the provision of dry exercise gym facilities, both in new aquatic complexes, and in the retrofitting of existing aquatic facilities. This is in response to the demand for cross training opportunities within the single facility and their positive cash flow. Supply versus targets and demand Swimming is a high participation active leisure activity, ranking the highest activity for young people and second highest for adults in Sport NZ research. One reason for swimming being a high participation sport for youth is that swimming is provided by schools as a part of the compulsory physical education curriculum. Casual use of the pools increased following the Lido $5.6 million upgrade in 2002 and patronage remained at the same levels until 2014 when the outdoor slides and zero depth play facilities were added in a private/public partnership. However, with the exception of school use of the pools, which is increasing, overall use of the Lido and Freyberg Pools has been declining (refer to Figure 9). 68 National Facilities Strategy for Aquatic Sports (August 2013). Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 205

38 70 Figure 8: Lido Aquatic Centre and Freyberg Community Pool use Source: Annual Reports Availability of pool space generally meets community needs but sports clubs are operating close to capacity and unable to accommodate new members or grow their membership. Pool facilities are described as adequate but not perfect for canoe polo. Canoe polo courts should ideally be 35m x 23m and the swimming pools are not quite big enough. There are also issues with a lack of water at the Hokowhitu Lagoon, particularly in summer, and there is a shortage of storage facilities for members for kayaks and other gear. The Kiwi Canoe Club is keen to find a disused quarry to create a Centre of Excellence for the sport. The club would like a clubroom (including storage, media centre and shower facilities). Canoe Polo also utilises the Makino Aquatic Centre in Feilding. The Council has an Asset Management Plan level of service target of pool utilisation of more than 330,000 for the Lido Pool and more than 110,000 for Freyberg Pool. Utilisation for 2013/14 the Lido Pool is 368,865 and 164,980 for Freyberg Pool. Data on Ashhurst pool was not reported in the Asset Management Plan. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 206

39 71 Sixty people per square metre of pool provided is the benchmark for estimating the demand for community pools. 69 A standard sized pool is 25 metres with eight lanes, which equates to 500 square metres usage per metre of water area. In the Manawatū-Whanganui region the number of people provided for per standard size Council pool is 15, This is above the average of all the Council provided standard pools (23,472) suggesting there is plenty of pool capacity in the region overall. In Palmerston North City there are three standard sized Council owned pools (two 25m pools and one 50m pool). Based on a population of 85,500, there is provision for 28,500 people per standard sized Council pool, which suggests that in Palmerston North the ratio of people to Council provided pools is higher than the national average. However, there are also approximately seven standard sized pools which are non- Council provided in Palmerston North, with varying public accessibility. If they are included in the calculation this equates to approximately 12,214 people per pool still higher than the national average of 10,518 per pool. Table 9 below shows the estimated number of standard pools for the population to 2043, based 60 people per square metre and 40 people per square metre. Table 9: Comparison of 60 and 40 people per square metre per standard sized swimming pool Palmerston North City Year at 30 June Total People 83,500 86,800 89,600 92,300 94,700 96,900 98,800 Estimated pool size 60 people/sq m no. of standard pools Estimated pool size total 40 people /sqm no. of standard pools Based on this analysis, Palmerston North is well provided for. However, Palmerston North also services the wider region and is inland with a minute drive to the nearest beach, compared to the majority of other urban areas in New Zealand. The pool is also subject to peak time demand use. Entry numbers for the Lido and Freyberg pool average 230,000 people per year. Based on 60 people per square metres the entry numbers suggest the existing pools are at capacity with 7.6 standards sized pools required to service this number of entries. More detailed analysis is required to determine if there is sufficient pool capacity to meet the needs of the community at times of peak demand Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 207

40 72 Swimming Manawatū would like the outdoor Lido Olympic pool covered and widened to provide additional water space and create a facility which could accommodate national fixtures. Note. there is no suitable body of water in Palmerston North or the Manawatū area for yachting and rowing. Summary A more detailed analysis of aquatic facilities and demand needs to be undertaken to determine if there are enough suitable Council facilities to meet the different needs of aquatics users, or if more or different facilities are needed. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 208

41 73 7. Parks and Reserves Objectives The objectives of this section are to: provide a snapshot of the current state of parks and reserves provision, excluding sports fields which are covered in a separate section identify current levels of provision and participation estimate the future demand or oversupply for recreation land and facilities; and consider if planned 10 Year Plan community projects will satisfy demand The Active Recreation Strategy noted that there is generally a good level of provision of parks and reserves in the City across the range of park categories, with the exception of natural parks. The Strategy suggested that the Council should increase the amount of natural park areas in the City by enabling public access to Harding s Park. Past findings and priorities (Parks and Reserves) The 2005 Recreation Needs Assessment identified a number of key recommendations and issues for the future provision of sports grounds and facilities, parks and reserves and pathways. Progress since 2005 is summarised in Appendix Three. Parks and reserve provision, condition and distribution Palmerston North has 173 reserves covering 836 hectares that are publically accessible and 132 hectares 71 that are not publically accessible. Of these there are four reserves classed as city reserves : Ashhurst Domain Memorial Park The Square, and Victoria Esplanade. The City s four city reserves are a combination of the public gardens, civic and cultural heritage categories. All of the city reserves provide the majority of features considered essential to a successful city reserve. Memorial Park and the Ashhurst Domain both contain the core features expected for major reserve levels of service such as car parking, toilets, signage, seating, and shelter. Inaccessible reserves are a combination of: Land holdings purchased to enable future connections Reserve developments that are landlocked or have no infrastructure enabling access Reserve land leased to specific organisations with no general public access, for example, leasing arrangements with pony clubs, bowling clubs, tennis clubs and other sporting groups allowing assess via membership but not general free entry. 71 Recreation and Community Facilities Asset Management Plan Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 209

42 74 It is noted in the 10 Year Plan that the parks and reserves in Palmerston North are generally in good condition. Parks are increasingly maintained to a high standard and the number of complaints that parks are not well maintained or tidy is decreasing. Some high profile areas, such as Hokowhitu Lagoon, Edwards Pit Park, and the Railway Land do require condition improvement to ensure the public access all year round. The areas that are allocated for public performances (e.g. fairs, open days, and concerts), such as The Square and the Victoria Esplanade, need improvement to withstand the higher demand on the grass areas. Drainage and irrigation improvements have been completed on: The events quadrant of The Square to ensure it performs better Victoria Esplanade playground to improve the capacity at that facility, and Memorial Park. Public toilets are generally in average to good condition. There has been increased demand for public toilets as use of walkways increases, and some sports fields and large neighbourhood hubs would benefit from easier access to toilets. Supply versus targets The levels of service targets to achieve the outcomes of the Active Recreation Strategy are based on the NZRA benchmark rates and are outlined in the Asset Management Plan. The Council s current direction is for: Adequate areas of parks and open space to meet the passive recreational needs of the City and visitor population More than four hectares of reserves per 1000 residents (the NZRA s widely quoted guideline of a minimum of four hectares of park land per 1,000 residents) An increasing proportion of residentially zoned houses within 500m walking distance of reserve land. Figure 10, below, shows the City has a good rate of provision across all park categories ahead of its minimum target level. The City provides 10.4 hectares 72 of publically accessible park per 1,000 residents (this is based on population of 80,079 and 836 hectares of park). 73 Compared to cities with similar sized populations, Palmerston North has less publically accessible parks areas per 1,000 people than Hamilton, Tauranga, and Hutt City, New Plymouth and Whangarei, but more than Hastings. 72 Note. Based on the NZ Statistics 2014 population estimate of 85,500 people, the City has 9.7 hectares of park per 1,000 residents Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 210

43 75 Figure 10: Peer city comparision of publically accessible parks per 1,000 people (2014) Source: Yardstick benchmark Survey 2014 Palmerston North has a higher provision of natural park land per 1,000 residents than Hamilton, Tauranga, Whangarei and Hastings, but lower provision than Hutt City. (See Figure 11). Figure 11: Peer city comparison of natural parks per 1,000 people (2014) Source: Yardstick benchmark Survey 2014 Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 211

44 76 Palmerston North also has a higher provision of significant premiere park land per 1,000 residents than Tauranga, New Plymouth and Hutt City but not Hamilton or Hastings. (See Figure 12 below). Figure 12: Peer City comparison of most significant premier park land per 1000 people (2014) Source: Yardstick benchmark Survey 2014 The reserves are generally well used but still have enough space to meet current needs, although the Victoria Esplanade and Memorial Park (particularly the play areas) are stretched at peak times, such as weekends in summertime. Capital development programmes are identified in the Asset Management Plan to address this issue. The Council acquired the 10.6 hectare former concrete batching works at the bottom of Maxwell s Line for an extension to Waitoetoe Park and enable further improvements to the Manawatū River environments. This was expected to function as a wilderness style area, although more recent developments with possible pedestrian and cycle bridges and bike criterion track proposals may see this development becoming more active and formal. Access to reserve land at Harding s Park and the adjacent Department of Conservation estate is being improved with around 7 kilometres of new track. This was added thanks, in large part, to the work of dedicated volunteers, essentially functioning as an extension of the popular Sledge Track. Council continues to acquire esplanade reserves and strips along the major rivers and streams, as opportunities arise through subdivision, and proactively implement the path connection from Ashhurst to the City. (Refer to the Manawatū River Framework for more information about this project). Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 212

45 77 The Council aims to maintain or increase (where possible) the proportion of urban residential houses that are located within 500m walking distance of reserve land each year to more than the previous year. That is, any reserves that provide the opportunity for open space play as places to kick a ball or fly a kite. Currently around 80% of all residentially zoned land 74 (excluding vacant residential zoned land) in Palmerston North is within 500 metres walking distance of a park or sports field and 95% are within 750 meters walking distance. (See Appendix Four). Analysis of the reserve provision, by Statistic New Zealand area unit, shows the residential areas with less/lower/limited access to reserve areas as: Cloverlea, Hokowhitu West, Kairanga, Longburn, the Palmerston North Hospital area, Papaioea, Takaro, Terrace End and Whakarongo. Around 80% of the urban residential areas is within 500m walking distance of a park or reserve, as shown in Figure 13, below. (Also see Appendix Four). Figure 13: Park accessibility percent of residentially zoned land within 500m walking distance 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% % residenital land <500 m walking Target % within 750 walking distance Source: Yardstick benchmark Survey 2014 There is some reliance on anecdotal evidence to assess demand. Some counts are conducted in the Victoria Esplanade the Peter Black Conservatory (over 60,000 visits per year), and the playground spot surveys which estimate over 150,000 users per year. The Yardstick Parkcheck survey is used to check the satisfaction of users with parks and the various features that make them up. Other than the overall satisfaction as a raw guide though, there is little in the way of questioning directly about whether people find reserves have plenty of space or whether crowding is affecting enjoyment or use. 74 Cores Cities report (2014). Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 213

46 78 Overall satisfaction with parks and reserves has been consistently high in Palmerston North. Community satisfaction is monitored through the Communitrak Survey which involves a random survey of residents. The target of 95% satisfaction has been met or exceeded over the last 10 years. In 2013, 98% of people were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of the Council s parks and reserves (see Figure 14). Figure 14: Community satisfaction with parks and reserves %Very/Fairly Satisfied Satisfaction (Excl. "Don't know") Target Source: Communitrak Survey The 2015 Yardstick Parkcheck survey also indicates that overall satisfaction of parks in Palmerston North is fair, with a score of 3.5 out 5. Figure 15: Overall satisfaction for all parks and reserves Source: Yardstick Parkcheck User survey 2015 Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan Victoria Esplanade is planned to include a new aviary complex (Wildbase Recovery) through collaboration with Massey University and DOC, Rangitāne and the service clubs Rotary and Lions. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 214

47 79 Council is currently allowing for development of a further City Reserve in asset management planning ( and $5.5 million) but assumes that this will be built using an existing land holding or one acquired through urban growth. Further work is needed to define this City Reserve expenditure location and scope. It is possible that meeting the City Reserve demand could be done at several locations (for example through a combination of the Manawatū River Framework implementation, further Linklater Reserve development, and the development of a large reserve in City West urban growth area). Arapuke Forest Park Development of Arapuke Forest Park (Kahuterawa). Council and community group volunteers are continuing development of the Arapuke Forest Park with the forest harvest now complete, and implementing pest control and biodiversity protection and enhancement. 1. $401,000 is budgeted over the next 10 years ( ) for development of Arapuke Park/Kahuterawa. This includes a contribution to the Manawatū Mountain Bike Club for trail development 2. $103,000 is budgeted over the next two years ( ) for infrastructure and planting. Te Motu O Poutoa / ANZAC Park Development of Te Motu o Poutoa/ANZAC Park. A reserve management plan is being created for development and management of Te Motu O Poutoa / ANZAC Park (2017). There is $717,000 budgeted over the next three years (to 2018), to develop this historically and culturally significant reserve - $100,000 of this funding is to be externally sourced. Edwards Pit Park (formally known as Featherston Street Pit) Ongoing development of Edwards Pit Park. $165,000 is budgeted 2015 to 2019 for completing the development. This will include completing the landscaping of the northern slopes, re-sealing the entrance, signage and interpretive works to tell the story of the history of the Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 215

48 80 park and its association with brick buildings in Palmerston North and the Hoffman Kiln. Linklater Reserve Council is planning for and developing Linklater Reserve: Children enjoying new swing bridge at Linklater Reserve (2014) $1,258,000 is budgeted to develop the reserve, 20 hectares of which has yet to be opened to the public. This will be completed over the next 6 years to Manawatū River Reserve Environments The purpose of the Manawatū River framework is to increase access to and quality of Manawatū River reserve environments. The Manawatū River framework includes a number of key directions to achieve good design outcomes and identify projects that have an opportunity to improve the river space. This is an initiative identified in the Urban Design Strategy 2010 and will provide the strategic vision for any development located in close proximity to the Manawatū River over the next 30 years. Key points: $1,469,000 is budgeted for implementation of the Manawatū River Framework Preliminary cost estimates indicate implementing the actions signalled in the draft Manawatū River Framework will require an additional $1.4 million over and above the existing $1.47 million budgeted for in the 10 Year Plan The draft Manawatū River Framework also identifies opportunities throughout the document, many of which are over and above the implementation plan actions. If all the opportunities were to be pursued then the preliminary estimate suggests a further $0.96 million would be required for a total resourcing requirement of $3.9 million. Programmes for the implementation of the Manawatū River Framework will require revision once the final Manawatū River Framework is approved and Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 216

49 81 then given consideration in the next 2017 Asset Management Plan and next 10 Year Plan Other budgeted projects in parks and reserves Council is contributing towards development of a junior road safety park (to be jointly funded with the community) The Railway Land skate park is being extended and a new skate park in Ashhurst (to be jointly funded with the Council and the community) Council has budgeted for new playgrounds in the urban growth areas and one more playground improvement in the existing urban area. The Linklater Reserve Development will include play features, probably based around adventure country style activities. A beginner mountain bike track and associated skills features are also likely. Other budgeted projects include: Manawatū Gorge Project $504,000 is budgeted over 10 years for Ashhurst Domain biodiversity improvements as part of the Manawatū Gorge Project and in contribution to the Manawatū Gorge Trail Project Reserve Management Planning $390,000 is budgeted for reserve management planning over the next six years to 2021 Clearview Reserve $114,000 is budgeted in 2020/21 for completing development of Clearview Reserve, half of which is still an undeveloped grazed paddock. Whakarongo Reserve Development $1,258,000 is budgeted for land purchases and reserve development over the next six years to 2021 for urban growth in the Whakarongo area to meet the key performance indicators of 500 m walking distance to a flat reserve. Oriana Reserve Development $87,000 is budgeted to develop the reserve in This reserve has remained undeveloped for some time pending the completion of a neighbouring residential subdivision which includes relocation the reserve to a more accessible and visible point as part of the subdivision. Aokautere Area Reserve $1,357,000 is budgeted 2017 to 2023 for the purchase of reserves land in the urban growth area of Aokautere to meet the key performance indicators of 500 m walking distance to a flat reserve. Council has included a number of general programmes in the 10 Year Plan that make level of service improvements to the amenities of parks and reserves. The first three years, and total for the full 10 years are shown in the Table 10 below. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 217

50 82 Table 10: 10 Year Plan projects Programme 2015/ / /2018 TOTAL 10 years 161- New Public Toilets $120,000 $122,880 $346,368 $2,066, Edibles Planting $5,000 $5,120 $5,248 $56, Biodiversity $20,000 $20,480 $20,992 $226,508 Planting Shade $25,600 $0 $81,003 Development 1172-Drinking Fountains $30,000 $30,720 $31,488 $92, Future Outdoor $264,055 Gyms Shade Trees $25,000 $25,600 $26,240 $143, Improved Lighting $20,000 $20,480 $20,992 $226,508 Opening up the Linklater Reserve and completion of the Edwards Pit Park will add capacity. Te Motu o Poutoa has considerable potential to become a special reserve with the planned management plan, upgrade, and focus on it expected as the Rangitâne o Manawatū Treaty of Waitangi claim is settled and Rangitāne look to this significant site. Trends affecting parks and reserves The Asset Management Plan notes the following in relation to future reserve development: a shift in physical recreation from organised sports to less formal activities such as walking - there has been a need in recent years to increase the number and quality of assets provided on reserves and walkways, including toilets, seats, signage and bins. New data released two years ago by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has confirmed Palmerston North s place as a significant tourist destination. In 2013 the City was the 13 th largest in terms of visitor spending. Visitors to the City also enjoy use of the City s parks reserves and playgrounds. The City has been experiencing strong growth in visitor spending and may have already overtaken Nelson and is getting close to overtaking Hastings. Visitor spending in the City rose by 12% between 2012 and Monthly indicator data published by MBIE suggests the City has experienced strong growth in visitor spending since March Supply and demand Table 11 below shows the change in population between 2006 and Ten area units experienced a decline in the number of people while most of the remaining area experienced increases. The latest Statistics NZ population projections (February 2015) suggest that Palmerston North City s population will grow approximately 9% to 92,300 by Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 218

51 83 Table 11: Change in City population by area unit ( ) Source: Statistics New Zealand Census data 2006 and 2013 Approximately 30% of all housing development occurs within the existing urban limits as infill subdivision. The Council is currently also looking at providing for Multi-Unit Housing Development and Minor Dwellings as alternative housing options. The consequence of this is an expected increase in residential population which may require reassessment of the provision of urban parks and reserves in the future. Future opportunities After accounting for site-specific issues, the Palmerston North Hospital residential area is identified as having the poorest access to reserves. There are very few opportunities to address the areas with relative shortfalls; there is little land of a suitable size or position available to improve supply. Some improvement has made to the area since 2005 through a partnership with Mana Tamiriki School and a playground access agreement. There may be an opportunity to improve supply further if the Northern Bowling Club vacates the Wahikoa Reserve site on North Street. However the location is less than ideal in that it has poor accessibility with a very long street, meaning limited catchment for the reserve. There is a 2,000m 2 vacant lot at the corner of Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 219

52 84 Featherston Street and Roy Street 75 that would provide a better reserve coverage than the Waihikoa Reserve option, covering approximately four times as many houses. One hundred and thirty six extra households would have a reserve within 500m walking distance if Wahikoa Park had a neighbourhood reserve developed on it, while 293 additional households would be within 500 m walking distance if a reserve were developed at the corner of Roy and Featherston Streets instead of at Wahikoa Park. Kelvin Grove is a significant area of population growth in the City with a large proportion of children. Continued greenfield residential development will take place in Kelvin Grove and the Aokautere/Summerhill area units respectively in the short to medium term. Within the Kelvin Grove area the Whakarongo residential area became operative in the District Plan in It is envisaged that the Whakarongo Residential Area will provide additional greenfield land supply to the market in the medium term. A separate analysis could be considered for the need, accessibility, and characteristics for additional City reserve(s) to meet the needs of a growing City grows or whether existing reserves will continue to meet the demand of a growing population. 8. Playgrounds Objectives The objectives of this section are to: identify current levels of provision and participation estimate the future demand or oversupply for playgrounds; and consider if planned 10 Year Plan community projects will satisfy demand Council aims to make more environments for children fun, interesting and stimulating, particularly utilising natural features. There are opportunities to better utilise local parks and reserves in combination with the Council s Urban Design Strategy 2010 and Place making initiatives, to make the City much more playful. Current playground provision Council provides 59 play-equipped areas through the City. significant playgrounds are: Victoria Esplanade Memorial Park Ashhurst Domain The largest/most There are youth playgrounds at Milverton Park, Skoglund Park, Monrad Park (one by the library) and playgrounds at smaller neighbourhood reserves. (See Appendix Five for a complete list). 75 Council greenfield reserve guidelines suggest a minimum of 2,500 square metres is desirable, although some historical reserves are smaller. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 220

53 85 Council direction Points to notes from the Active Recreation Strategy are: International best practice is moving toward creating playable environments rather than traditional playgrounds There is growing international recognition that children play wherever and whenever they can. The traditional response to providing fixed equipment within fenced-off areas is seen by many as an inappropriate response to meet children s play needs Investment in play space needs to continue while the child population grows in the City. There is an opportunity to utilise the availability of local parks and reserves in combination with the Council s Urban Design Strategy and place making initiatives to make the City more playful Parks and reserves provide exciting and challenging play opportunities for children and young people. Play area replacements and upgrades should follow best practice design for play spaces Parks are evenly distributed across the City. Reserves and open spaces should be preserved in priority neighbourhoods The Council provides a full range of active recreation opportunities. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan An upgrade is budgeted for the skate park on the Railway Land and there has been continued interest for a new skate park in Ashhurst for 2015/16 (subject to part external funding) ($140,000). Note. In finalising the 10 Year Plan the Council changed the focus of the programme for City-wide playground development, to remove the emphasis on youth playgrounds. Supply versus targets Targets are not set specifically for playground provision. When a reserve is identified for development, local consultation on what recreation facilities are desired is undertaken. Playground facilities are developed where budgets allow. Three playgrounds were added to the City as a result of boundary adjustments with Manawatū District Council in 2012 and are excluded from Figure 16 below. The provision of the additional youth playgrounds was based on feedback during the 2005 Recreation Needs Assessment. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 221

54 86 Figure 16: Peer cities comparison of playgrounds per 1,000 people (2014) Source: Yardstick Park Report 2014 Based on the Yardstick Report 76 comparing similar sized populations, there are 3.7 publically provided playgrounds per 1,000 children aged 15 years in Palmerston North. This is more than Hutt City and Hastings but less than Tauranga and Hamilton (see Figure 16). The Council aims to maintain or increase (where possible) the proportion of urban residential houses that are located within 500m walking distance of reserves. Neighbourhoods lacking parks and recreation facilities and with high proportions of children with higher social deprivation in the City include Highbury, Roslyn, Awapuni North. Other areas with social deprivation include Palmerston North Central, West End, Westbrook and Papaioea areas but they have lower proportions of children. Also, there is demand for more wheel-based facilities, with Council receiving requests for additional skateboard, scooter, BMX and mountain bike facilities in various consultation exercises, most recently during consultation for the Linklater Reserve development planning. These are traditionally popular activities with youth. A high number of users (92%) are satisfied with the level of safety in parks. The Council is targeting an increasing compliance with relevant playground standards and is currently 67% compliant; the target for 2017 is 70%. (See Figure 17) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 222

55 87 Figure 17: Compliance with playground standards (Palmerston North) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% % meet standards Target Source: Recreation and Community Facilities Asset Management Plan 2014 It is noted that there is a tension with playground standards and the desire to have challenging and natural play features developed in reserves. Conforming strictly to standards imposes a significant cost for safety surfacing and compliance. Trends affecting playgrounds There is a trend for more playable areas but they also need to provide the traditional playground equipment. Anecdotal evidence suggests that public perceptions of play areas are not good when a playground only has playable elements and doesn t also provide traditional equipment. There are some privately provided pay-to-play areas and equipment with introduction of Kids Republic, Lollipops Playland, YMCA, Lido hydroslides and Flip City. Population projections indicate an increase in births that will increase demand for playgrounds for the next 10 years (see Figure 18). Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 223

56 88 Figure 18: Population projection for children using playgrounds Source: Ministry of Education 2015 Neighbourhood demographics Between 2006 and 2013, 13 area units experienced a decline in the number of children aged 0-14 years, however Kelvin Grove experienced a 46% increase in the number of children aged 0-14 years. Other relatively large increases were Turitea (23%) and Whakarongo (23%), with the remaining area experienced small increases (See Table 11 earlier). Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 224

57 89 9. Pathways Objectives The objective of this section is to: Identify current provision and projects Compare Recreation Needs Assessment 2005 priorities Identify the demand. Pathways provision, condition and performance The Manawatū is an excellent environment for recreational cycling. There is a range of cycling options available from the flat, to undulating hill country, through to the challenging climbs of the Tararua Ranges. The Council provides 68 km of walkways and they are extended at a rate of about 600 m per annum. The current provision equates to 1km per 1000 City residents. The Manawatū Cycle way is a leg of the NZ Cycle Trail, traversing 126km of quiet country roads between Mangaweka and Palmerston North. Off road recreational cycling (mountain biking) takes place on pathways or in reserves. Cycling facilities include Arapuke Forest Park s mountain bike facilities, which are under active development, and the Te Apiti Manawatū Gorge reserve, where mountain bike facilities are being developed to complement existing walking opportunities. The main/dominant pathway provision is along the Manawatū River and Managone Stream with more advanced provision at Arapuke Forest Park. DOC have more recently added a short trial section of track at the Manawatū Gorge and Manawatū Mountain Bike Club members have access to other tracks in the wider region, such as at Raumai Road in Bulls. Mountain bikers at Arapuke Forest Park (2014) Cycling facilities include Arapuke Forest Park s mountain biking facilities, which are under active development, and the Manawatū Gorge Park, where mountain bike facilities are being developed to complement existing walking opportunities. The Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 225

58 90 Manawatū Cycle way is a 126km leg of the NZ Cycle Trail, traversing quiet country roads between Mangaweka and Palmerston North. New Mangaone Stream Bridge (2015) (Longburn shared pathway extension) It is noted there is a lack of intermediate level mountain biking opportunities within or associated with the urban area that can be accessed without a car. These issues should be addressed at the Linklater Reserve and possibly through development along the Manawatū River and at the extension of Waitoetoe Park. Priorities and major projects in the 10 Year Plan A Master plan of pathways for the next 30 years was prepared as part of the 2009 Recreation Strategy. This plan formed the basis of assumptions for the annual programmes for the acquisition of land and development of new paths and walkways. The Master plan of pathways is due to be reviewed and updated for the next review of the Asset Management Plan in 2017 and the preparation of the draft Year Plan. The Council has made significant investment in pathways, walkways and cycle ways in recent years, particularly the Manawatū River pathway. There are plans for completion of the Palmerston North off-road, inner City cycle loop and riverside routes to Ashhurst. The Council has been successful in obtaining part funding under central government Urban Cycle ways Fund for the investigation and construction of a shared pathway and bridge between the City and Linton Military Camp stretching from the Fitzherbert Avenue Bridge to Massey University for residents on the western side of the City and Linton Military Camp. The $10m project is scheduled for completion by mid The shared pathway will be suitable for pedestrians and cycling and continues the building of recreational pathways throughout the City. The 10 Year Plan provides for new capital for: City-wide purchase of land to extend walkways network ( ) ($714,000) City-wide construction of walkways ( ) ($769,000) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 226

59 91 Urban growth City-west walkways land purchases (2025) ($120,000) Urban growth Whakarongo walkways land purchases ( ) ($727,000) Urban growth Whakarongo walkways development ( ) ($102,000) City-wide shared pathway new rubbish /recycling bins(2015/16) ($9,000) A cycle/pedestrian pathway between Palmerston North to Bunnythorpe ( ) - $2,806 million A shared cycle/pedestrian pathway between Fitzherbert Bridge and Linton (subject to part external funding) ( ) - $2,714 million A pedestrian/cycle bridge over the Manawatū River (subject to part external funding) ( ) - $7,188 million A shared cycle/pedestrian pathway between James Line and Stoney Creek Road (2015) - $110,000 City East (Mangaone stream to Manawatū River) shared path connection ( ) ($1,617,000) Completion of the Ashhurst to City shared pathway 2015/16 $575,000 Completion of Ashhurst Bridge to Domain pathway 2015/16 $57,000 Bike Manawatū off-road cycling park (subject to part external funding) $336,000 (2017/18) Other programmes include: City-wide walkways renewals ( ) (Victoria Esplanade, Memorial Park, Ashhurst Domain and The Square) Turitea Road pedestrian path/steps Continuing with walkway construction spread throughout the City (ongoing) $70,000 per year. Projects currently being planned are extensions in Summerhill and Valley Views areas and also a walkway linking the Moonshine Valley to Polson Hill. Provision of facilities along the new and existing shared pathways throughout the City (ongoing) Mangaone Stream shared path underpass at Botanical Road Mangaone Stream shared path underpass at Highbury Avenue The Council is also contributing $25,000 in 2016/17 to support the Manawatū Gorge Trail project and $140,000 to the Manawatū Mountain Bike Club for Arapuke Forest Park trail development. Past findings and priorities (Pathways) The 2005 Recreation Needs Assessment identified a number of key recommendations and issues for the future provision of sports grounds and facilities, parks and reserves and pathways. Progress since 2005 is summarised in Appendix Three. Trends that affect pathways Manufactured facilities (e.g. paths, cycle ways and walkways in town and cities, people s homes and outdoor facilities) are used by most people (91.3%) Page 18 Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 227

60 92 There have been significant movements in central government policy and funding frameworks for walking and cycling over the last five years. Specific funding targeting walking and cycling as modes of transport has been introduced and the criteria for gaining the funds has been adjusted to encourage territorial authorities to develop infrastructure. The Transport Agency anticipates the total investment in cycling in New Zealand over the next three years will be around $380 million to $400 million, delivering more than 250km of new urban cycle ways and greater network connectivity. 78 Local walking and running activities centre on, but certainly are not limited to, the Victoria Esplanade and Manawatū River pathway. Walking groups also make use of the network of tracks in Aokautere and the access provided to them via the cycle/pedestrian path on the Fitzherbert Bridge and out to Massey University. Other popular areas in the Palmerston North City Council territorial area are the Arapuke Forest park, the walkways in and around the racecourse and the Hokowhitu Lagoon. The Gorge track, administered by DOC, is increasingly popular for walkers and runners and now a major destination. Recent extension of the walkways has been focused in Kelvin Grove, Mangaone Stream and Aokautere as the urban growth areas. The network development has been well received by the community and the partnership with the Department of Corrections has added significant value to the work. As part of the planning process for the Whakarongo and City-West urban growth areas pathway provision was carefully considered. At the Whakarongo growth area a new pathway is planned between James Line and Stoney Creek Road. At the City West urban growth area a new pathway is planned to run around the periphery of the area to provide connections to the Mangoane Stream. In the longer-term (beyond 10 years) the Council has aspirations to construct pathways along the banks of the Turitea and Kahuterawa streams from the foothills of the Tararua Ranges to the Manawatū River. In addition, it is planned to construct a pathway from Ashhurst bridge to the City along the true left bank of the Manawatū River. Supply and demand Recreational cycling, walking and jogging are significant 79 participation activities that do not require specific covered-in facilities. Participation rates for these activities are much higher than the majority of sports and in the case of walking several times the highest participation sports (refer to Appendix One). Walking is a high participation activity for adults, particularly 50 to 74 year olds and our ageing population means demand for walkways is likely to increase. The preferred settings for off-road recreational cycling include rural, pathway and reserve settings. Walking and running needs are continuous sections of % of all New Zealanders and 87% of children aged 8-14 years old own a bicycle and the majority ride it at least once per week according to LTSA Bike Week facts. Walking consistently ranks as the highest participation leisure activity for adults and this is even more pronounced when like activities of tramping and jogging are included. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 228

61 93 uninterrupted footpath, walkway or trail with preferences for settings that have limited or no motorised vehicles and natural settings. There are no levels of service targets for pathways. Benchmarking the amount of pathways is used to determine adequate provision for a population. In 2015, Palmerston North has 68 km of walkways, the third highest length of walkways per 1,000 residents, behind Dunedin and Wellington. The current provision equates to 1km per 1,000 residents (see Figure 19). Figure 19: Peer city comparison of path and trails per 1,000 people Kilometres Hamilton City Tauranga City Palmerston North City Hutt City Source: Yardstick Park Report 2014 Note. There are no out of CBD pedestrian counts and off-road has only been counted with the new technology. The Council has recently introduced new pedestrian/cycle Eco-counters to improve the accuracy of the counts but it is too early to accurately say for off-road shared paths, what the trends are. Arapuke Forest Park user numbers were approximately 17,000 in 2015 and Sledge Track user numbers were approximately 7,500. The Manawatū Gorge Track 2015 user numbers are now four times higher than they were in Additionally a new mountain bike section beside the Ballance Café attracted 2,788 users in five months of Figure 20 shows a steady increase in Manawatū Gorge Track user numbers from Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 229

62 94 Figure 20: Manawatū Gorge Track user numbers ( ) 60,000 50,000 Walkers 40,000 30,000 20,000 10, Year Council is delivering a number of pathway projects that will make a significant contribution to the quality and length of pathways in the City over the next 10 years. A key aspect of programme delivery is working collaboratively with other agencies and parties. This will strengthen the region s goal to be the best place in New Zealand to ride a bike. Manawatū pathway 2013 (Ashhurst section) Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 230

63 Specialised Facilities Specialised facilities are provided for gymnastics, squash, swimming, canoeing, equestrian sports, bowls, croquet, golf, cycling, and athletics. These include: The Manawatū Community Athletics Track The Manawatū Community Athletic Track (MCAT) at Massey University is a high quality internationally rated facility. It is the main venue used for athletics in the Manawatu. Other athletics venues include Ongley / Manawaroa Park and Lincoln Park. Palmerston North Girls High School marks out an athletic track on Ongley / Manawaroa Park and the Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club run around the outside of these parks. The Ashhurst Club uses Lincoln Park. The MCAT is ageing and showing signs of wear and tear and is in need of maintenance. The Council has an operating programme for shade and shelter development at the MCAT (2017/18) ($75,000). But there is no programme for maintenance of the MCAT because the track is owned and maintained by the Massey University and the Council makes an annual contribution to Massey University for the upkeep of the track. Athletics membership has been increasing with the Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club the biggest user. The proportion of the population participating in athletics increased 78% from The Manawatū Community Athletics Track Advisory Committee, in its 13 th Annual report 2014, reported approximately 19,000 users in total. Track bookings remain strong with 355 bookings, nearing an average of one per day. Estimated use from bookings is a little over 19,000 users. School users are the biggest group of users and make up over half of all the MCAT users. Total use will be higher as casual use is not captured. The user booking statistics for the last five years are shown in Figure 21 below.. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 231

64 96 Figure 21: Manawatū Community Athletics Track use User numbers User estimate Bookings Bookings The MCAT is reaching capacity for athletics large events but track administrators believe local activities can be managed within existing facilities. Administrators also said there is insufficient demand to justify another track of this level. Summary Use of the track is nearing capacity and some groups are Ongley Park and Lincoln Park as alternative venues. Further, analysis is required to determine if more alternative are required to supplement existing capacity or whether existing alternatives to the MCAT currently meet demand. Gymnastics The Palmerston North Gymnastics Club currently leases 10 Downing Street as its main recreation and competitive gym but also hire Freyberg School Gymnasium for trampoline classes. Manawatū Gym Sports are paying commercial rents at 10 Downing Street and are keen to get their own premises instead of leasing commercial buildings. They require a large indoor space with particular dimensions for height and length to enable apparatus use. There are gymnastics members. Membership has been increasing. There are limited opportunities to grow the sport as there are a limited number of venues that meet their requirements and the club is paying commercial rents for use of the existing venue. Gymnastics have approached the Council a couple of times over the last 10 years for use of a Council provided facility. A more in-depth analysis of needs to be undertaken to determine if there are suitable Council facilities to meet Gymnastics needs. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 232

65 97 Triathlon The Manawatū Triathlon Club use Freyberg Community Pool, Lido Aquatic Centre, Skoglund Park, and Linton Military Camp for events. The condition of existing facilities is described as excellent. However, existing grounds and facilities are described as excellent but they not designed for Triathlon and cycle and pool access for competitions is awkward. The club would like a 50 metre pool that is not land locked by major roads. Triathlon numbers have been stable with the number of families competing together increasing. Bowls There are six bowling clubs in Palmerston North. Four (Takaro, Northern, Hokowhitu and Terrace End) of the six bowls clubs lease their land from the Council and manage the greens and clubrooms themselves. The Palmerston North and Ashhurst (RSA) Clubs own their own land and facilities. The Takaro Sports Club has added an artificial bowling green and is completing the extension of its clubrooms. Bowls membership has been steadily declining and this is a trend nationally. Bowls, callisthenics and exercising at home are more popular among the 65+ years age group than the other age groups. Membership has continued to decline despite the percentage of people 65+ years increasing as a proportion of the population. The decline in bowling participants has led to club amalgamations. Sport NZ advise an optimal number of players per green as players per green. There are 15 greens in Palmerston North and on that basis capacity for 1,200-1,425 players representing a current oversupply of nine greens. This may require a in-depth analysis of the needs of Bowls to determine if there may be opportunities for potential club mergers and repurposing of facilities for other use: Croquet There are two croquet facilities in the City with three lawns at the Rose Garden and three at Takaro. National level events are hosted between the two clubs. Membership has been fairly static with less than 100 people playing croquet. A more in-depth analysis of needs to be undertaken to determine the optimal number of players per green and whether there is oversupply or undersupply of croquet facilities. Equestrian sports Current provision of facilities includes a purpose built international standard arena at Tielcey Park and comprehensive equestrian facilities at Massey University for students and staff. Outside of Palmerton North, but a significant regional equestrian facility, is also available at Manfeild Park. Pony Clubs on Council land include: Ashhurst Pohangina Pony Club at the Ashhurst Domain, Turitea Pony Club at the Linton Domain and the Palmerston North Pony Club on Otira Reserve. The Awapuni Racing Centre, Racecourse Road, Palmerston North is a regional racing facility. Home of the Manawatū Racing Club, Marton Jockey Club, Rangitikei Racing Club and the Feilding Jockey Club. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 233

66 98 Many people take part in equestrian sports in environments outside the club scene and on private property and the rate of participation is unknown. Cycling Cycling has a number of component sports, each with its own set of needs. This section deals mainly with track cycling and road cycling while mountain biking is covered in the parks and reserves section. Major existing off-road pathways include: Victoria Esplanade and Manawatū River Shared Pathway City to Longburn Shared Pathway City to Massey Pathway Mangaone Stream Pathway. Additional planned pathways include: City to Linton Military Camp via Massey project City to Ashhurst (right bank) project. Off-road recreational cycling (mountain biking) takes place on pathways or in reserves. Arapuke Forest Park, Waitoetoe Park, the Manawatū Gorge track opposite the Ballance Bridge Café and for MMBC members only, Raumai Forest trails. There is no track cycling facilities provided in Palmerston North. The track at Memorial Park has been closed for over 15 years and was replaced with an inline skating track in Cycling facilities include City roads and off road shared paths and Manfeild Park race track. The City has 68km of cycle lanes/paths and is in the process of developing more. The Council has made significant investment in cycling facilities in recent years and there are a significant number of projects in the 10 Year Plan for the provision of cycle ways. Consultation with the Manawatū Mountain Biking Club for the development of the Linklater Reserve noted that Palmerston North has good, very easy facilities along the Manawatū River, and is developing good intermediate and advanced riding opportunities at Arapuke Forest Park but it lacks facilities in between. In response a 2.5km to 3km grade 2 (junior/beginner) track is planned for the Linklater Reserve. Cycling is one of the top most popular sport and recreation activities. There are a variety of different types of cycling clubs and limited data for club memberships and about what trends have been occurring. Bike Manawatū Club membership has been declining but there is insufficient data collected over time to determine if this is a trend. Many people take part in cycling in environments outside the club scene. For example, census data shows the City has a high share of residents who cycle to work 5.9%. There is no data for the track memberships or about what trends have been occurring. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 234

67 99 The Metro counts scattered around the off-road network indicate there may be an increase in cycle use, particularly at the Riverside Drive entrance to the Manawatū River. The on-road cycle counts at the selected baseline sites are fairly static ranging between 160 and 190 AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic). The Council has recently introduced new pedestrian/cycle Eco counters to improve the accuracy of the counts but it is too early to accurately say for off-road shared paths, what the trends are. There is a small group of cyclists advocating for development of a basic competition BMX track in Palmerston North and further analysis would be required to determine the need for Council investment in a BMX track. There some cycling groups advocating for a local velodrome with an emphasis shifting to an outdoor one to replace the one taken out at Memorial Park Charge Grounds The Council provides three charge grounds, Fitzherbert Park, Memorial Park, and the Arena with the capacity to provide controlled access so entry can be charged by the user group. The charge grounds have a higher standard of presentation and facilities with the necessary infrastructure such as: Covered seating Lighting Facilities to meet media, players and official needs; and Fencing and gate facilities to restrict and charge for access. The main charge ground venue is the Arena Oval. There are approximately 40 events in the City that charge to enter, including six rugby events (such as the ITM Cup) and 20 speedway events e.g. stockcar and super car champs Other There are requests, from a number of different sports groups with low rates of participation, for the Council to support the development of specialised facilities for their sport. There are subject to a separate Recreation Needs Assessment and require more in-depth analysis of their requests is required to determine the need for these, including: Shooting BMX Rollers sports inline hockey, derby, skating Facility just lost at Leisureplex and have been 2 to 3 approaches to Council officers over the last 5 years looking for new facilities. Relevant to future Arena 5 scope decisions when that shifts in planning in about 5 7 years. (construction not for 10 plus years) but could well crop up again not that Leisureplex facility has gone. canoe water sports esp on Hokowhitu Lagoon long canoes, canoe polo, waka ama Motor sport full sized and model vehicles Other indoor small ball sports Badminton, squash, table tennis Aussie rules and gridiron are occasionally raised with Council Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 What Sporting Codes Need 235

68 Conclusion There is a broad range of of sport and recreation facilities provided in Palmerston North, and many are in good condition. There are some complexities in adequately determining the need for facilities for various activities, and some interesting conclusions can be drawn about the factors influencing recreation needs. Trends It is getting more difficult to determine how many people are playing a particular sport. The reliability of the membership information varies depending on the administration of the club. This means there is a risk of over or underestimating demand for facilities. People appear to be less inclined to commit to a sport or club, and pay-to-play participation is replacing the tradition annual membership subscriptions. There has also been an increase in school student programmes and coaching. School children are also not counted as members. Participation in sports is provided via a Sport New Zealand survey by Sport New Zealand. We have not been trending this information. Different age groups have varying preferences for particular sports and activities. Participation by people 16 to 35 years is higher than participation by people in the over 35 years age group and there is higher participation in sports preferred by this age group, such as football rugby, netball, basketball, hockey, cricket, rugby league, softball, tennis and touch. There are also high rates of participation in sports provided by schools such as swimming, athletics, rugby, and netball. There are a number of conflicting trends that are impacting on participation in sport and recreation and demand for sport and recreation facilities. The population is growing and participation in sport is increasing at a faster rate than population growth, but the proportion of older less active people in the population is also increasing. Participation in the high-participation and traditional sports drops off significantly after 50 years of age, and participation in sports such as walking, equipment-based exercise, fishing, bowls, golf and callisthenics increases. How active the older population is depends on other factors such as the ageing process, health and level of disability and disposable income. Changes in overseas migration can have a significant impact on population projections, particularly in younger age groups. Competition between the different sports codes for the active proportion of the population will increase, with many sports codes already targeting secondary schools as a way of increasing participation and membership. Disposable income is increasing, along with the standard of living and expectations for quality recreation and sports facilities and playing services. Demand for good quality sport and recreation facilities and parks and reserves is expected to increase. People are working longer and are more are sedentary so they have less time in their busy lives for active recreation and physical exercise, but a greater need for it in order to maintain a healthy life and avoid obesity. People need flexible options to maintain their physical health to fit in with their busy lives without the pressure to volunteer their time to organising running of the club or Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Conclusion 236

69 101 sport. Less structured sport and recreation such as gyms (equipment-based exercise) and exercise classes, walking, cycling and swimming are among the top most popular activities for people over 16 years of age. Despite increasing participation in some sports, there can be a preference to manage demand within existing sport club resources using demand management techniques, such as capping teams or extending the time they use of a ground or facility (e..g with lights). This is in order to maintain centralisation of the sport and manage the limited club resources within the capacity of existing grounds and facilities. The limited operational and administrative capacity of some sports organisations and the cost of providing additional fields markings, goal posts and administration, mean there has to be a significant increase in members and club administration to justify the use of additional venues or splitting competitions /training to different nights. Specific findings There is a need for improved changing and toilet facilities, particularly at larger sports grounds where the centralised activities were occurring The need for improved playing surface quality and drainage in some grounds, as well as improved lighting for training grounds and twilight games A preference for larger venues to provide sporting economics of scale and centralisation There is an increase in pay to play participation and shorter games that are using less space. A more detailed analysis of aquatic facilities and demand is required to determine if there are enough suitable types of facilities to meet future demand There is high demand for the Arena indoor space, particularly at peak times and this is creating an under capacity for indoor court sport at the times the sports are being run. It is widely recognised that there are peak demand issues for indoor space at the Arena and that some sports groups are capping team numbers as well as struggling to secure all season use of indoor court space for seasonal competitions and space for major sporting events. More good quality, flexible indoor space with sufficient space around courts for umpires and spectators is required at the Arena to ensure there are courts available at the peak times sports are being played There is a good provision of good quality courts to meet the current and future needs of outdoor court sports in both summer and winter. There may be opportunities to reallocate existing court space between summer netball and tennis for the benefit of both sports. There is a good provision of quality fields for summer sports and capacity to accommodate any increase in summer sport. However, this may require a shift to other nights or other venues, which can increase demand for club resources. There is demand for sports to be able accommodate increases in participation without having to shift to another venue or night to keep operational and administrative burdens within club /sport resources. Winter field sports are high participation sports. There is a good provision, on paper, of fields that meet current demand. But some fields are not being used to capacity because of issues with drainage and playing surface quality. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Conclusion 237

70 102 There are also some unused fields that are in need of improvement for use in winter e.g. the middle of the Manawatū Community Athletics Track, and the International Pacific University fields. More field space is needed for football rugby league, football training and hockey to enable continued centralisation of the sports as participation grows and to host large tournaments. The 10 Year Plan programmes, such as improved drainage projects and development of artificial turfs will address playing surface quality issues and accommodate any growth in sports participation for some years. As participation in the different sports changes there will be opportunities to reallocation of existing fields between the different sports codes to benefit all, particularly if capacity increases as a result of improved drainage and the addition of the artificial turfs. Draft Recreation Needs Analysis 2015 Conclusion 238

71 103 F. Appendix One: Sports Profile and Summary 239

72 Introduction The purpose of this profile is to provide a summary of the participation in selected sports. Participation data National participation rates for specific sports are provided by Sport NZ. Sport NZ information identifies the top 20 most popular or targeted sport and recreation activities and provides profiles of these. Participation is in the activity one or more times a week, in any setting at home, at school or somewhere else. Sport NZ data is for young people 5-18 years and adults 16+ years and targets 20 most popular sport and recreation activities identified from surveys undertaken. Sport NZ profiles target four main ethnic groups: NZ European, Māori, Pacific and Asian. Participation rates for most sports/activities are higher in the school setting (i.e. for sports/activities organised by schools outside of class time) than with clubs 80. Schools and clubs play an important role in providing sporting opportunities for young people Sport NZ 1. Sport and recreation activities organised by schools during class time do not appear to be included in the survey results from Sport NZ. This potentially underestimated demand as schools are increasingly using facilities provided publically and may generate improved utilisation of some public facilities. In the absence of local participation information, national participation rates are used to estimate absolute numbers for local participation. Membership data Key sports clubs/associations were asked to provide the Council with their membership data and comments about the sport and recreation facilities they use via a survey monkey survey. National club membership data was provided by Sport NZ for the top 20 targeted sports. Local club membership data was provided by sports clubs/associations in response to a survey of Manawatū Sports Associations; by Sport Manawatū or from historic information kept by the Council. Much of the local club membership includes people from other territorial authority catchments, such as Manawatū, Whanganui, Horowhenua, Tararua and Rangitikei. Note, there are gaps in the membership data because membership data is not always available or collected annually. Facilities and capacity Council provides around 24 sports grounds for all year round use. This includes: Grass surfaces (135 ha) with 168 playing surfaces (87ha) Non-grass surfaces, 68 surfaces 20 sports field buildings 28 sports field car parks and 57,612 m 2 of pavement area 80 Sport and Recreation in the Lives of Young New Zealanders, New Zealand Young people s survey series (2011). 240

73 105 Sports field training lights are not owned or managed by the Council as these are installed and owned by the Sports Clubs or Associations. However, the Council does own and manage sports field lighting at Arena Manawatū. There are seasonal changes to facility and ground use based on changes to participation in the different sports codes. Participation levels and preference change over time and with age, making it difficult to predict the long-term future requirements of the various individual sports codes. The focus for sports fields is on ensuring that the overall sports field capacity is sufficient and flexible. Capacity of the grass sports fields is between one to six games per week (times 22 days per season) depending on different drainage characteristics of the fields. Many sports grounds and facilities are used for more than one sports and recreation activity, with summer and winter uses. Sports grounds often host casual play and operate as neighbourhood reserves when not in use as sports fields. Demand for facilities Many sports that are based primarily in Palmerston North have catchments that extend well outside the territorial authority boundary. In fact, due to the compact nature of the territorial boundary, it would be extremely difficult to find a sport that only drew on residents from within the City boundary. This means that local club membership and national participation rates used to estimate demand for facilities in the City, based on the City population, is likely to underestimate demand for City facilities, where regional club membership is not included. Demand for both indoor and outdoor facilities is highest in winter (May to August). Projecting future demand The profiles in this document are based on a snapshot in time. The trends and projections provide a useful indicator of potential demand but it is difficult to provide any certainty with regards to actual or future demand. This is because projections assume changes over time to the proportion of different age and ethnic groups in the population who influence facility demand. For example, the proportion of elderly is increasing as well as the proportion of the Asian population. Demographics play some role in determining foreseeable demand, however many sports have grown or declined in contrast to demographic change. The past is not necessarily a good predicator of the future and so some caution is always advisable. For example, past work in 1994 saw a rapid rise in softball predicting major demand on grounds, which did not come to pass. Other work suggested rapidly rising elderly population numbers would see growing demand for codes traditionally seen as popular with the elderly, such as bowling which has not proven to be the case. There can also be a honeymoon period for rapidly growing sports where a peak of demand flattens out after a rapid rise. Statistics New Zealand published new population projections in February 2015, which now cover the period to 2043 and are based on a 2013-base population. Palmerston North was projected to reach a population of 97,900 by 2031 but is now projected to reach 98,800 by The significant difference between the 2006 and 2013 base projections reflects both the much weaker actual growth in the City population than estimated between 2006 and 2013 and a general lowering in the average annual growth rates for future years. When you look at the projections by the five-year age bands there is very little growth projected in the City for the school age groups and declines when the wider region population is taken into account. After 2004 there was an increase in the number of births in 241

74 106 Palmerston North which peaked in 2012 but numbers declined up to the end of This is supported by the school roll data that is published annually by year group. Growth in the number of births in 2015 may reflect the significant decline in migration to Australia over the last 18 months. Also, there has been a short-term change in the secondary school enrolments since the global financial crisis, with more students staying on for years 12 and 13, but this may change in the future as the labour market improves. There is considerable uncertainty over the longer-term trend for how long older people will remain in the labour force. 2. Athletics (track and field) National participation and demographics of athletics Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified in Sport NZ 81, for Athletics are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Athletics is one of the top three activities in which all young people regularly participate 70% of all young people (568,000) nationally participate in athletics one or more times a week. It is one of the main activities, outside of class time and organised by schools, in which most young people take part. 79% of 5-10 year olds, 67% of year olds and 61% of year olds participate in athletics. Participation of young male (69%) and female (71%) in athletics is fairly even. Athletics is one of the 10 top sport and recreation activities all ethnic groups participate. The proportion of young ethnic groups participating in athletics is similar, with 73% NZ European, 70% Māori, 69% Pacific and 69% Asian. If national participation proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, it is estimated that 10,800 young people participate locally in athletics, including 5,400 males and 5,400 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for athletics for adults, there is no demographic analysis provided by Sport NZ. Only 1.9% of all adults (approx. 63,000) nationally participate in athletics. If national proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, it is estimated that 1,197 adults participate locally in athletics. 81 Young People s Survey Series Sport and Recreation in the Lives of Young New Zealanders, 2011; Sport and Active Recreation in the Lives of New Zealand Adults, 2013/2014 Active New Zealand Survey Results. 242

75 107 National club membership trends National club membership data provided by Sport NZ for athletics shows a significant (46%) drop in members from the peak in 2001 (31,814) to the low of 17,270 in 2003/04 followed by a 25% increase to 21,528 members in 2008/09 before declining 18% to 17,697 members in According to Athletics NZ, there is a general decline in participation with age, we are seeing significant drop out rates in participation at key ages along with a slowing rate of new officials interested in training, in particular young adults. Local club membership trends and discussion There are 2 clubs operating in the Palmerston North area registered with Athletics NZ - the Ashhurst Harrier and Athletic Club and the Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club Inc. Local club membership data provided by Sports Manawatū and Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier clubs shows erratic growth in members from 215 members in 1990 to 280 members in 2014 (30% increase). Membership peaked at 319 in

76 108 Facilities The main venue used for athletics is the Manawatū Community Athletic Track (MCAT) at Massey University, with the Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club the biggest user. Palmerston North Girls High School marks out an athletic track on Ongley / Manawaroa Park and the Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club run around the outside of the parks. Ashhurst Club use Lincoln Park The MCAT is a high quality internationally rated facility. Local activities can be managed at existing facilities but the track is starting to show signs of wear. Overall the track and associated facilities are in reasonable condition but the report by Bob Jones of Sports Surface Consultants Ltd in July 2014 highlighted that considerations should be started regarding a suitable replacement of the rubber surface as it starts to deteriorate. 82 The Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club is planning to increase the sun shading for spectators at MCAT. The field in the middle of the MCAT has been unplayable in winter due to a compaction layer under the top soil that has affected the drainage system. It is one of the few floodlit playing fields in the City and is used for football in winter. It is unknown if the drainage will affect summer use for athletics. A report has been carried out by a sports surface specialist who notes a typical life is around 10 years. The current view of the Advisory Committee is that a couple of year s further use can be made from the surface. Massey University, who are responsible for renewal under the Memorandum of Understanding with the Council, are initiating their renewals budgeting process. Council has contributed to the renewals through its annual payment towards maintenance and renewals. The Council pays a $50,000 operating grant to Massey University to maintain the MCAT. The Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club is intending to increase the sun shading for spectators at MCAT. 82 Report on Manawatu Community Athletic Track, prepared by Manawatu Community Athletic Track Advisory Committee, 13 th Annual Report December

77 109 Supply versus demand According to the MCAT 13 th Annual Report December 2014, prepared by MCAT Advisory Committee, there were approximately 19,237 users in 2014 of the MCAT. In 2010, Athletics NZ noted an above average number of clubs 27 clubs compared to 19, in the Manawatū/Whanganui region compared to in other regions. However not all users of the track are members of clubs. Secondary schools are large users of the track. The Track Advisory Committee in its 13 th Annual Report (2014) reported around 19,000 users per year. Track bookings remain strong with 355 bookings, nearing an average of one per day. Estimated use from bookings is a little over 19,000. Total use will be higher as casual use is not captured. Manawatu Community Athletics Track - User and Bookings Statistics User numbers User estimate Bookings Bookings The MCAT is near capacity for athletics events but local activities can be managed within existing facilities. There are insufficient local participation to justify an additional athletics track of the MCAT quality and insufficient existing capacity to grown numbers. There are plans by the Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club to increase the sun shading for spectators at MCAT. A report has been carried out by a sports surface specialist who notes a typical life is around 10 years. The current view of the Advisory Committee is that a couple of year s further use can be made from the surface. Massey University, who are responsible for renewal under the Memorandum of Understanding with the Council, are initiating their renewals budgeting process. Council has contributed to the renewals through its annual payment towards maintenance and renewals. 245

78 110 Bookings data, in the graph below, shows peak demand occurring in March and November from secondary and primary schools. In 2014 the track staged the first ever North Island Athletics Championships and planning has started to host the North Island event in The Colgate games are to be held in Palmerston North and this will be the largest event ever held at this track and will be among the largest sports events the Manawatū has held, says George McConachy, Head Coach. 246

79 Badminton Previously, Sport NZ grouped badminton, squash and table tennis into a combined profile termed racket sports. This time these sports are profiled separately. National participation and demographics of badminton Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for badminton are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Badminton is ranked 12 th most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate regularly. 46% of all young people (373,500) nationally participate in badminton one or more times a week. The proportion of year olds (46%) and year olds (46%) participating in badminton is similar. Note, badminton was not included in the survey form given to 5-10 year olds. The proportion of males and females participating in badminton is similar with 46% males and 46% females. Badminton is one of the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities in which young Asian people participate. Badminton does not feature in the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities for the other ethnic groups. A slightly higher proportion of young Asian people (60%) participate in badminton than other ethnic groups. A slightly higher proportion of Asian females (64%) participate in badminton than Asian males (57%). If national participation proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 7,100 young people years old participate in badminton, including 3,600 male and 3,500 female. Adults (16+ year olds) Badminton does not feature in the top 20 most popular sport and recreation activities in which adults participate, ranking 28 th. 3.5% of all adults participate regularly in badminton. The proportion of males (3.5%) and females (3.6%) participating in badminton is similar. 15% of adults participating in badminton are of Asian ethnicity. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 2,200 adults, including 1,200 females and 1,000 males participate in badminton locally. National club membership trends National club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a steady increase in members from 8,346 members in 1997 to 10,702 (28%) in

80 112 Local membership and discussion Local club membership data provided by Sport Manawatū and Manawatū Badminton shows erratic changes in membership from 199 members in 1990 to 250 members at its peak in 1993, followed by a rapid decline to a low of 134 members in 1999 and 2001 before unevenly increasing to membership of 189 in Facilities Badminton is played at various halls throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena Manawatū. There are 24 permanently marked courts at the Arena but there is space for up to 45 badminton courts. Massey University also provides 6 badminton courts for students, staff and members Supply versus demand Badminton is played at a number of different halls throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena Manawatū. Badminton participation is fairly static but is declined -16% as a proportion of the population from

81 113 Badminton is mainly played during winter months (March-September) with some school competitions from February-April (Primary), October-December (Intermediate) and May- June (Secondary). Manawatū Badminton also runs a weekly Thursday night super league. A small number of people play badminton, which is popular with Asian people. Manawatū Badminton has focused heavily on school programmes and has seen increased participation as a result. There is spare capacity at Arena Manawatū for additional court space with 24 permanently marked courts and space for 45 courts if needed. Existing facilities are not designed specifically for badminton. Badminton requires non-slip surfaces on courts with floors that have some give/spring (i.e. not concrete). They also require specific lighting on the sides of the courts and dark coloured wall surrounds. This is to prevent losing sight of the shuttle. Manawatū Badminton would like a 4-court hall designed specifically for badminton to run all their club games, training and to enable hosting of the New Zealand league. Currently, all of the facilities used for badminton are for multipurpose use - that is the courts are not design specifically for the badminton and surfaces, lighting, wall colour and surrounds are not suitable for the dynamic movement of badminton and for sighting the shuttle. It is noted that there are some difficulties with competing users of some Arena Manawatū facilities wanting the courts at the same time. 4. Basketball National participation and demographics of basketball Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for basketball are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Basketball ranked 11 th most popular sport and recreation activity for young people. 50% of all young people (403,000) nationally participate in basketball one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of young males (55%) than females (44%) participate in basketball. A higher proportion of year olds (66%) participate in basketball compared to 5-10 year olds (35%) and of year olds (54%). Significantly a higher proportion of young Pacific (54%) people participate in basketball than other ethnic groups, with NZ European (5%), Māori (30%) and Asian (29%). Basketball is one of the top 10 sports and recreation activities in which all young male NZ European (53%), Māori (59%) and Asian (57%) people participate. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 7,600 young people participate locally in basketball with 4,300 males and 3,300 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Basketball is not one of the top 20 sports and recreation activities in which adults participate regularly, ranking 21. 5% of all adults (152,000) nationally participate in basketball one or more times a week. 249

82 114 A slightly higher proportion of adult males (7%) than females (2%) participate in basketball. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 2,896 adults, including 722 females and 2,136 males participate in basketball locally. National club membership trends National club membership data, provided by Sport NZ, shows a decline in membership from 47,244 in 1997 to 23,551 in 2006 before increasing to 80,564 members in Local membership and discussion The club membership data provided by Sport Manawatū for basketball shows gradually increasing membership from 1,712 members in 1990 to 2,296 members in 2014 (70.5% increase). The Palmerston North Basketball Association says it is experiencing increasing numbers of teams and players. 250

83 115 Facilities Basketball is played at Arena Manawatū, local school gyms, and Linton Military Camp gym. There are 11 permanently marked basketball courts at Arena Manawatū with Arena 2 providing a show court for major events. The International Pacific College has 1 basketball court in its main gym for students and Massey University has 2 cross court (or 1 full size) basketball courts that are accessible to Massey University members. There are also basketball courts at the Highbury Whanau Centre and many school gyms. The Council provides 1 marked outdoor basketball court at Kelvin Grove Park with a second shortly to be added to Takaro Park. Supply versus demand A large number of people play basketball, which is popular with young people. Basketball membership is increasing. Basketball is played at a number of venues throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena Manawatū. Basketball is played mainly in winter (April- September) with masters games held in February. The Palmerston North Basketball Association needs more courts with better availability on Thursday nights. Facilities are described as good and the Palmerston North Basketball Association would like to use more of the venue if possible and also better seating provided. Basketball uses the Arena approximately 23% of the total time the spaces are used compared to other sports and approximately 13% of the total time that the spaces are available for. It is noted that there are some difficulties with competing users of some Arena Manawatū facilities wanting the courts at the same time. 5. Bowls (Outdoor) Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for bowls. This makes the amount of readily accessible demographic information available limited. National participation and demographics of bowls The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for bowls are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Less than 1 % of young people participate in bowls Adults (16 + year olds) 4.2% of all adults nationally participate in bowls (139,000). A higher proportion of 65+ year olds participate in bowls than other age groups, with 9.5% of year olds and 12% of 75+ year olds participating in bowls one or more times a week. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 2,600 adults participate in bowls. National club membership trends National club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a steady decline in bowls membership from 67,000 members in 1997 to 28,997 members in 2014 (58%). 251

84 116 Local membership and discussion Local membership data provided by Bowls Manawatū mirrors the national trend with a steady decline in membership from 1,098 members in 1996 to 497 members in 2014 (-55%). Facilities Land leased to bowls clubs include: Terrace End Bowling club (7,664 m 2 ); Wahikoa Park (11,600m 2 ); Hokowhitu Domain (10,140 m 2 ) and Takaro Park (11,940 m 2 ). There is a privately owned Palmerston North Bowling Club in Linton Street and at Ashhurst. Supply versus demand Bowls is popular with people 65 year olds and older but membership has been declining. Four (Takaro, Northern, Hokowhitu and Terrace End) of the 6 bowls clubs in Palmerston North lease their land from Council and manage the greens and clubrooms themselves. The Palmerston North and Ashhurst (RSA) Clubs own their own land and facilities. Bowls is played primarily in the spring and summer months. 252

85 117 Sport NZ advise an optimal number of players per green as players per green. There are 15 greens in Palmerston North and on that basis capacity for 1,200-1,425 players representing a current oversupply of 9 greens. 6. Boxing National participation and demographics of boxing The Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for boxing. This makes the amount of readily accessible demographic information available limited. Young people (5-18 year olds) Less than 1% of young people nationally participate in boxing. Adults (16+ year olds) 3.5% of all adults (115,994) nationally participate in boxing. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 2,200 adults participate in boxing. National club membership trends Sport NZ does not currently provide membership data for boxing. Historically, national club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a significant 67% decline in membership from 5,280 members in 1997 to 1,812 members in Local membership and discussion Sports Manawatū does not currently provide membership data for boxing and the Manawatū Boxing Association numbers are unavailable. Facilities Te Awe Awe Scouts Hall, Huia Street, Palmerston North. Fight Club Church St Meehan Boxing Gym on Miro St 87 Bourke St 253

86 118 Palmerston North Boxing Club, 72 Church St 7. Canoeing (and Kayaking) National participation and demographics of canoeing Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for canoeing are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Canoeing ranked 15 th most popular sport and recreation activity for all young people. 40% of all young people (321,700) nationally participate in canoeing one or more times a week. The proportion of young males (41%) than females (39%) participating in canoeing is similar. A higher proportion of year olds (36%) than year olds (20%) participate in Canoeing. Note, Sport NZ survey forms were not provided to 5-10 years. Canoeing does not feature in the top 10 sports for the different ethnic groups participating. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 6,100 young people participate locally in canoeing with 3,200 males and 2,900 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Canoeing is ranked the 12 th most popular sports and recreation activity for all adults. 8% of all adults (270,000) nationally participate in canoeing one or more times a week. The proportion of adult males (10%) and females (7%) participating in canoeing is similar. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 5,100 adults, including 2,300 females and 2,800 males participate in canoeing locally. National club membership trends Sport NZ does not currently provide membership data for canoeing. Historically, membership has declined -35%, from 5,643 members in 1997 to a low of 1,382 members in 2001 before steadily increasing to 3,673 members in

87 119 Local membership and discussion Sport Manawatū does not currently provide membership data for canoeing. The historical membership shows a steadily declined membership from 240 members in 1993 to a low of 150 members in 2003 before increasing to 263 members in However, it is unclear if this information includes all canoe clubs data was provided by Kiwi Canoe Polo but other clubs were not asked for their information. Facilities There are a variety of different canoeing sports, some using the Freyberg Community Pool and Lido Aquatic Centre, and others using Hokowhitu Lagoon and river environments in the greater Manawatū and Rangitikei, and the Environmental White-water Park at Shannon. Entry numbers for canoe polo Freyberg pool have declined -4% from 3,557 people in 2004 to 3,350 in Supply versus demand 255

88 120 A small number of people participate in canoeing, which is popular with young people. Membership has been increasing with the club experiencing exponential growth in the number of junior/intermediate members participating in canoe polo. There are issues with a lack of water at Hokowhitu Lagoon, particularly in summer. Also, swimming pools are not quite big enough for a canoe polo court 35m x 23m. There is a programme in the 10 Year Plan to improve Canoe Polo Club Courts at the Hokowhitu Lagoon. 8. Cricket National participation and demographics of cricket Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for cricket are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Cricket ranked 17 th most popular sport and recreation activity for young people. 37% of all young people (300,000) nationally participate in cricket one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of young males (43%) than females (31%) participate in cricket. The proportion of young people participating in cricket declines by age from 38% of 5-10 year olds to 26% of year olds and 16% of year olds. Cricket does not feature in the top 10 sports for the different ethnic groups participating. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 5,700 young people participate locally in cricket with 3,400 males and 2,300 females. Adults (16+ year olds) 5% of all adults (174,000) nationally participate in cricket one or more times a week. A higher proportion of males (9%) than females (2%) participate in cricket. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 3,300 adults, including 700 females and 2,600 males participate in cricket locally. National club membership trends National club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a steady increase in membership, from 87,035 members in 1997 to a peak of 102,759 members in 2003 before steadily declining to 77,414 members in Membership has declined 25% since its peak in

89 121 Local membership Local club membership data provided by Sport Manawatū and Manawatū Cricket shows an erratic increase in membership from 2,678 members in 1990 to a potential peak of 3,561 members in 2014 (33% increase). However, according to Manawatū Cricket, there is a general consensus that traditional cricket numbers are declining. The numbers may not reflect that as a whole but they are being propped up by those playing modified cricket or pay to play games and Kiwi Cricket programmes delivered to clusters of schools, which were not previously counted in the membership numbers. Traditionally numbers from primary through to adult are decreasing each year and clubs are finding it more difficult each year to fill teams. Facilities Cricket is generally well catered for with approximately 43 different cricket playing surfaces in the City (around 21 artificial and 22 grass and 2 practice surfaces). This includes facilities at Ongley / Manawaroa Parks, including an indoor training facility; the Fitzherbert Park oval, an elite level venue; and the Ashhurst Domain, Coronation Park, Colquhoun Park, 257

90 122 Hokowhitu Domain, Paneiri Park, Papaioea Park and Wallace Park. There is a cricket pitch as Massey University also. Supply versus demand Cricket is one of the popular sports. The proportion of the population participating in cricket increased 14% from Despite a decline in traditional cricket club membership participation in cricket has increased due to the introduction of other programmes. According to Manawatū Cricket, traditional membership is declining each year and clubs are finding it difficult to fill teams. The membership appears to be increasing because different forms of cricket, that were not previously counted and that don t necessarily take up field space, are being counted, for example school cricket programmes. These are changing the way the game is played, so that less field space is needed and the duration of games is shorter, consequently more games can be played within existing ground space. Junior and secondary school Saturday morning cricket are using all the available space provided, including school grounds. There is currently higher demand than pitches available and if more cricket pitches were available they would be used. There is no spare capacity and if schools decided to restrict access then there would be a shortage of cricket fields. The existing fields are at capacity and cricket is in need of more space if it is to continue to grow the sport. Further, changes to the grades means there is likely to be a shortage of grass fields in the coming season due to removal of the Premier 4 cricket normally played on the artificial pitches, and an increase in the number of people playing Premier 3 cricket on the grass. Consequently, Manawatū Cricket would like another grass cricket block for the 2016 season. Existing grass blocks are in good condition provided they are properly renovated at the end of each season. Fitzherbert Park is Palmerston North s premiere cricket facility and Cricket Manawatū would like to upgrade Fitzherbert Park with the help of Council to create a facility that will allow the Club to attract high profile matches. 9. Croquet National participation and demographics of croquet Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for croquet. This makes the amount of readily accessible demographic information available limited. Young people (5-18 year olds) Less than 1% of young people nationally participate in croquet. Adults (16+ year olds) Less than 1% of adults nationally participate in croquet. National club membership trends National club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows an 11% decline in membership from 4,124 members in 1997 to a low of 3,674 members in 2009 before steadily increasing to peak (4,211) members in Membership fell -7% from 2013 to 2014 to 3,925 members. 258

91 123 Local membership and discussion Sport Manawatū does not currently provide club membership data for croquet and local clubs were not asked for their membership information. Historically, croquet club membership steadily declined from 76 members in 1990 to 59 members in 2005 before increasing to 79 members in Council does not have recent croquet membership information. Facilities Croquet facilities include 3 lawns at the Rose Garden and 3 at Takaro. National level events are hosted between the two clubs with 3 lawns at the Rose Garden and 3 at Takaro. Supply versus demand Membership has been fairly static with less than 100 people playing croquet. Current local membership numbers are unavailable. If local membership mirrors national trends then membership may be declining. 259

92 Cycling National participation and demographics of cycling Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for cycling are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Cycling ranked the 4 th top most popular sport and recreation activity for young people. 67% of all young people (546,300) nationally participate in cycling one or more times a week. The proportion of young males (67%) and females (67%) participating in cycling is similar. A slightly higher proportion of 5-10 year olds (78%) participate in cycling than years (65%) and years (54%). Cycling is one of top 10 sports and recreation activities for the different ethnic groups. The proportion of young NZ European (75%) is slightly higher than the proportion of young Māori (66%), Pacific (54%) and Asian (64%) people. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 10,400 young people participate locally in cycling with 5,200 males and 5,200 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Cycling is the 3 rd top most popular sport and recreation activity for adults. 25% of all adults (823,000) nationally participate in cycling one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of males (28%) than females (22%) participate in cycling. A slightly higher proportion of years (33%) participate in cycling than years (23%), years (25%) and years (27%). Participation in cycling declines with age with years 33% compared to 8% of 65+ year olds. A higher proportion of NZ European adults (28%) participate in cycling than Māori (19%), Pacific (no data), Asian (11%) adults. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 15,600 adults, including 7,200 females and 8,400 males participate in cycling locally. National club membership trends Sport NZ does not currently provide membership data for cycling. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. Local membership and discussion Bike Manawatū has around 300 members (2014) and the Manawatū Mountain Bike Club (MMBC) has around 660 members. But many people also take part in cycling in environments outside the club scene. For example, census data shows the City has a high share of residents who cycle to work 5.9%. 260

93 125 Facilities Cycling facilities include City roads and off-road shared paths and Manfeild Park race track. The City has 88 km of cycle lanes/paths and is in the process of developing more. Major existing off-road pathways include: Victoria Esplanade and Manawatū River Shared Pathway City to Longburn Shared Pathway City to Massey Pathway Mangone Stream Pathway. Additional planned pathways include: City to Linton Military Camp via Massey project City to Ashhurst (right bank) project. Off road recreational cycling (mountain biking) takes place on pathways or in reserves. Arapuke Forest Park, Waitoetoe Park, the Manawatū Gorge track opposite the Ballance Bridge Café and for MMBC members only, Raumai Forest trails. Consultation with the MMBC for the development of the Linklater Reserve noted that Palmerston North has good, very easy facilities along the Manawatū River, and is developing good intermediate and advanced riding opportunities at Arapuke Forest Park but it lacks facilities in between. In response a 2.5 km to 3 km grade 2 (junior/beginner) track is planned for the Linklater Reserve. Supply versus demand Participation in cycling has been increasing. Many people take part in cycling in environments outside the club scene. The census data shows the City has a high share of residents who cycle to work 5.9%. There is no data for the track memberships or about what trends have been occurring. The Metro counts scattered around the off-road network indicate there may be an increase in cycle use, particularly at the Riverside Drive entrance to the Manawatu River. The onroad cycle counts at the selected baseline sites are fairly static ranging between 160 and 190 AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic). The Council has recently introduced new 261

94 126 pedestrian/cycle Eco counters to improve the accuracy of the counts but it is too early to accurately say for off-road shared paths, what the trend is. 11. Equestrian Sports National participation and demographics of equestrian sports Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for equestrian sports. This makes the amount of readily accessible demographic information available limited. Young people (5-18 year olds) Less than 1% of young people nationally participate in equestrian sports. 5.3% of young females participate in horse riding. Adults (16+ year olds) Approximately 2.6% of adults nationally participate in equestrian sports. National club membership trends Sport NZ does not currently provide membership data for equestrian sport. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. Local membership and discussion There is limited membership data for equestrian sports provided by Sport Manawatū for trend analysis so equestrian sport membership has not been included. Also, many people take part in Equestrian sports in environments outside the club scene. Equestrian clubs were not asked to provide membership information. Facilities The Manawatū River pathway and the Arapuke Forest Park are available for horse riding. Tielcey Park is built to an international standard and organises and hosts more than 35 equestrian events a year. Awapuni Racing Centre, Racecourse Road, Palmerston North is a regional racing facility. Home of the Manawatū Racing Club, Marton Jockey Club, Rangitikei Racing Club and the Feilding Jockey Club. Pony Clubs on Council land includes Ashhurst Pohangina Pony Club in the Ashhurst Domain, Turitea Pony Club at the Linton Domain and the Palmerston North Pony Club on Otira Reserve. Massey University also provides comprehensive equestrian facilities for students and staff. Outside of Palmerton North, but a significant regional equestrian facility is also available at Manfeild Park. 12. Football (Soccer) National participation and demographics of football Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. 262

95 127 The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for football are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Football is the 5 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 60% of all young people (486,000) nationally participate in football one or more times a week. Football is one of the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities in which all young males participate. A higher proportion of young males (68%) participate in football than young females (52%). A higher proportion of young Asian (74.4%) and NZ European (72%) males participate than Māori (67%) and Pacific (62%) males. A higher proportion of young NZ European (52%) and Asian (48%) females participate than other young ethnic females. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 9,200 young people participate locally in football with 5,300 males and 3,900 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Football is the 13 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all adults participate. 6% of all adults (209,000) nationally participate in football one or more times a week. A higher proportion of adult males (11%) than females (2%) participate in football. Football is one of the top 10 most popular sports for Asian adults (10%). A higher proportion of year olds (14%) participate in football than the other age groups. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 4,000 adults participate in football locally, including 3,200 adult males and 800 adult females. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ for football shows membership increased from 71,600 members in 1997 to a peak of 109,300 members in 2002 before steadily declining to 77,660 members in Football membership has increased 9.3% to 84,936 members from 2013 to

96 128 Local membership and discussion The winter club membership data provided by Central Football shows a period of fairly stable membership from before rapidly increasing to a peak 4,140 members in Membership remained fairly stable until 2004 before falling sharply to 3,161 members in From 2005 membership has followed the national trend and increased to 3,946 members in Note. Membership data is not available for all of the clubs. Summer Soccer and Futsal Summer soccer and futsal are different sports. Summer soccer is played on outside fields in summer with Arena Manawatū as the main outdoor venue and Futsal is played indoors with Arena Manawatū the main venue for Futsal. There were approximately 330 people playing futsal term 4 of Central Football started collecting registrations for Futsal in 2014 so there currently no available trend data. Central Football has indicated that participation numbers in Futsal appear to be increasing. 264

97 129 Summer soccer is managed by the Marist Football club. These are fairly young sports and registrations have not been previously collected so there is insufficient membership data for analysis. Facilities There are approximately 48 winter football fields plus 4 football training fields. Football grounds include: Arena Manawatū, Ashhurst Domain, Bill Brown Park, Celaeno Park, Colquhoun Park, Hokowhitu Domain, Mahanga Kakariki Reserve, Memorial Park, Monrad Park, Papaioea Park, Rangitāne Park, Skoglund Park, Wallace Park and 2 fields at Massey University and 1 field at Linton Military Camp. All but 3 of these grounds also provide changing facilities. In 2015, the Rugby Union relinquished its grounds (two rugby fields) at Ashhurst to Football Manawatū. Memorial Park is the City s second sand-based sports ground that caters for top central football competitions. Massey University provides 2 soccer fields and Linton Military Camp 1 football field. Football training fields include: Celaeno Park, Waterloo Park, Takaro Park, Ashhurst Domain, Monrad Park. Supply versus demand A large number of people are playing winter football, which is one of the popular club sports. Football Club membership is increasing participation. The proportion of the population playing football increased 6% from Football shares several parks with other winter sports. Football clubs are dissatisfied with the quality of the football playing surfaces, holes and poor drainage, which are contributing to an increase in player injuries and impacting the quality of the games in Palmerston North. The playing surface quality varies from field to field depending on rainfall, drainage and other factors, and some fields don t handle the increased player traffic when games have to be shifted. Central Football is struggling to find suitable all-season playing surfaces for some grades to reduce game cancellations. Consequently, there is limited capacity to cope with further growth in membership. Central Football would like an artificial tiger turf to improve the quality of play in Palmerston North and provide a more reliable quality playing surface for local games, and regional and national tournaments. Summer football participation is increasing. The main venue for summer football is the outdoor fields at the Arena Manawatū. There are lights near the Marist clubrooms, if needed, to increase use of the fields for summer football. Futsal is a relatively new game and registrations were collected for the first time in Numbers are small but increasing. Arena Manawatū is the main venue for futsal and Central Football is generally very happy with the quality of the venue and management of it. Central Football is trying to grow futsal participation and membership and would like to host a national league. In the meantime, the sport has to balance the added venue costs with participation numbers using demand management techniques, such as capping teams. Also, the use of Arena is shared with other sports and futsal is struggling to secure seasonal use of the same venue week after week due to clashes with national events. Futsal would like more space but cannot currently justify the additional cost of venue hire requires with the number additional participation and are currently balancing participation within existing facilities without compromising the quality of the games. 265

98 Golf National participation and demographics of golf Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for golf are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Golf does not feature in the top most popular sport and recreation activities for young people. A significantly higher proportion of young males (31%) than females (17%) participate in golf. 24% of all young people aged (192,300) nationally participate in golf one or more times a week. Golf was not listed in the survey forms provided to 5-10 year olds. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 3,600 young people participate locally in golf with 2,400 males and 1,200 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Golf is 10 th most popular ranked sport and recreation activity for adults. 10% of all adults (318,000) nationally participate in golf one or more times a week. A higher proportion of adult males (15%) than females (5%) participate in golf. A higher proportion of year olds participate in golf than other age groups, with 11% years, 11% years, 12% years and 7% 75+ years. 11% of NZ European adults participate in golf. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 6,000 adults, including 1,500 females and 4,500 males participate in golf locally. National club membership trends Club membership data for golf provided by Sport NZ shows a rapid increase (58%) in membership, from 83,367 members in 1997 to a peak of 132,063 members in 2003 before steadily declining (-20%) to 106,086 members in

99 131 Local membership and discussion Club membership data provided by Sport Manawatū and the Manawatū Golf Club shows a steady increase in membership, from 3,723 members in 1998 to 3,952 members in 2003 followed by a rapid increase to a peak 5,085 members in 2005 before steadily declining to 3,415 members in Golf reports a greater number of people paying green fees each time they play, rather than joining a club so while membership numbers are declining, this does not necessarily mean fewer players. However data on pay-to-play numbers is difficult to come by. Facilities Golf facilities include: Manawatū Golf Club in Hokowhitu bordering the banks of the Manawatū River and the City s Hokowhitu Lagoon this is regarded as Manawatū s premiere 18 hole layout. An 18 hole golf Course at Linton Military Camp - which is available to the public. Palmerston North Golf Club on Brightwater Terrace - an 18 hole course operated on Council leased land. A private 9 hole golf course on Rangitikei Line - the Orlando Golf Course. Note, The Brookfield Park Golf course (9 holes) on Te Matai Road closed in Golf City (9 holes) has also closed. 14. Gymsports (Gymnastics, trampoline, aerobics) National participation and demographics of gymsports Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for gymsports are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Gymsports is the 11 th top most popular sport and recreation activity for young people. 267

100 132 50% of all young people (398,300) nationally participate in gymnastics one or more times a week. A higher proportion of young females (54%) than males (44%) participate in gymsports. Gymsports is one of the top 10 sport and recreation activities in which young female NZ European (30%), Māori (28%) and Asian (22%) people participate. A significantly higher proportion of 5-10 year olds participate in gymsports (66%) than years (24%) and years (16%). If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 7,500 young people participate locally in gymsports with 3,400 males and 4,100 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Less than 1% of all adults nationally participate in gymsports. Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for gymsports for adults, there is no demographic analysis provided by Sport NZ. National club membership trends The gym club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a steady increase in membership, from 13,212 members in 1997 to 28,236 members in 2014 (113%). Local membership and discussion The club membership data provided by Sports Manawatū for gymsports shows a sharp increase from 2003 to peak members (281) in Membership dropped from 481 in 2007 to 261 members in 2012 and increased to 399 members in

101 133 Facilities Gymnastics need a large indoor space with particular dimensions for height and length to enable apparatus use. The Palmerston North Gymnastics Club uses 10 Downing Street as its main recreation and competitive gym but also hire Freyberg School Gymnasium for trampoline classes. Palmerston North Gymnastics Club had approached Arena Manawatū management enquiring about the availability of space noting that it pays commercial rents at their current location which were considered a barrier to growth. Arena Manawatū had no facilities available with the necessary height for some of the apparatus. The redevelopment of Arena 5 (which currently includes a smaller gymnastics facility) will present an opportunity to considering a facility at that location, however that facility is not scheduled for renewal for another 20 years. 15. Hockey National participation and demographics of hockey Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for hockey are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Hockey does not feature in the top 20 most popular sports in which young people participate, it ranks 23 rd. 30% of all young people aged 5-14 (242,000) nationally participate in hockey one or more times a week. Note, there is no Sport NZ information for year olds. The proportion of male (31%) and female (29%) participation in hockey is similar. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 4,600 young people participate locally in hockey with 2,400 males and 2,200 females. Adults (16+ year olds) 269

102 134 Hockey does not feature in the top 20 most popular sports in which adults participate. 1.3% of all adults (43,084) nationally participate in hockey one or more times a week. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 800 adults participate in hockey locally. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a steady increase in hockey club membership from 35,394 members in 1997 to a peak 56,983 members in 2010 then dropped to 44,507 members in 2011 before steadily increasing (8%) to 48,174 members in 2014 (36% from ). Local membership and discussion The club membership data provided by Hockey Manawatū shows an erratic 54% increase in winter membership from Membership increased erratically from 1,555 members in 1990 to peak 2,849 members in 2003 before steadily declining to 1,748 members in Membership then significantly increased to 2,388 members in 2014 (37% from )). Summer hockey has also increased erratically with membership peaking at 3,168 members in 2012 before declining 8% to 2,906 members in

103 135 Facilities Hockey facilities include 2 full-sized artificial water based turf surfaces, the Endeavour Community Trust Twin Turfs, based at Fitzherbert Park. This includes a stadium, full lighting, shelters, a pavilion and Hockey Manawatū offices. There are also 24 half-sized (12 full-sized) junior grass hockey fields at Ongley / Manawaroa Park. Supply versus demand Winter participation rates are the key driver in demand for facilities. A large number of people play hockey, which is popular with young people. Intermediate, secondary school and senior players currently play on the artificial twin turfs and junior members (5-10 year olds) currently play on the grass. A separate analysis has been completed for use of the twin turfs. This concluded that demand for the twin turfs is on or near the tipping point (maximum capacity) for a new turf and planning needs to start for some additional turf capacity to reduce demand issues. An additional 0.5 FTE or 1.0 FTE is required for games and competitions. If a 1.0 FTE turf was installed it would increase the capacity for mid-week competitions and reduce the need for late night practices. This would significantly increase the quality of the games and competitions and support strategies to grow participation in hockey. Junior hockey is played on the grass and intermediate and senior hockey is played on the artificial turf. Junior hockey fields are smaller than senior fields and are meeting demand. There are 24 junior hockey (half-sized) grass fields which are meeting demand. However, there are issues with poor drainage and slumping that affect about 10 junior fields (half the grass playing fields). This means play has had to be moved to other fields on Manawaroa Park which puts increased pressure on these fields. Hockey is considering growing the number of fields next year to meet growing demand and to avoid these less durable fields. Existing fields would cope with the growing junior demand if they are all in good quality condition. Summer hockey participation is increasing. Summer hockey is played on the twin turfs artificial surfaces at Fitzherbert Park. Summer hockey competitions are less formal in summer with more pay to play games that make it easier to manage the demand within 271

104 136 existing facilities. An additional turf is budgeted for hockey and this will add to the capacity available for summer hockey. 16. Netball National participation and demographics of netball Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for netball are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Netball is the 16 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 38% of all young people (309,800) nationally participate in netball one or more times a week. A significantly higher proportion of young females (57%) participate in netball than males (20%). A higher proportion of young females years old (36%) participate in netball than 5-10 years (25%) and years (25%). The proportion of participation in netball by young NZ European 29%, Māori 30% and Pacific 31% people is similar. The proportion of young Asian (3%) participation is significantly lower than the other ethnic groups. A higher proportion of young female NZ European (58%), Māori (61%) and Pacific (62%) than young Asian 46% females participate in netball. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 5,900 young people participate locally in netball with 1,600 males and 4,300 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Netball is the 17 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all adults participate. 6% of all adults (187,000) nationally participate in netball one or more times a week. A higher proportion of adult females (8%) than males (3%) participate in netball. A higher proportion of years olds (17%) participate in netball than other age groups. A higher proportion of Pacific (14%) and Māori (11.3%) adults participate in netball than other ethnic groups. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 3,600 adults participate in netball locally, with 2,700 females and 900 males. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ, despite a peak in members at 155,290, shows fairly stable membership in netball with a less than -1% decline in members from

105 137 Local membership and discussion The club membership data provided by Netball Manawatū shows a period of stable membership, from 3,760 members in 1990 to 3,820 members in 1997 before increasing 34% to a peak 5,130 members in From 2003 netball membership has declined 45% to 2,820 members in 2013 before increasing to 3,190 members in Facilities Outdoor netball facilities are centralised at Vautier Park and indoor facilities are at Arena Manawatū. Vautier Park has 17 courts; Arena Manawatū has 12 permanently marked indoor netball courts; there are 2 unused netball courts at Bill Brown Park; and there is provision for 8 netball courts at Massey University plus provision for 1 indoor netball court. Supply versus demand A large number of people play netball, which is popular with young females, particularly Māori and Pacific people. Netball has centralised to Vautier Park, which is the main venue 273

106 138 for netball. Netball runs from 9am to 3pm on Saturdays and all 17 courts are filled most Saturdays. Netball membership had been gradually declining but has started increasing again with the introduction of business house and summer netball as well as junior netball programmes with year 1 and 2 playing. There is capacity for netball at many other hardcourt facilities if demand required and grades were separated rather than centralised. For example 6 courts could be accommodated at Wallace Park and 4 at Takaro Park. However the trend is towards indoor play rather than outdoor play. Netball also runs a business house social league in summer but has had to move outdoors to Vautier Park because of a lack of availability of space on a Wednesday night at the Arena. The use of Vautier Park in summer is limited to a few courts because the courts are used for tennis and there are not enough courts available for summer netball. Netball Manawatū also runs an indoor summer netball competitive league on a Tuesday night at Arena Manawatū in the B & M Centre that involves about 16 teams. Capacity at Arena Manawatū meets current demand but there is no spare capacity to grow the summer competitive league as additional space depends on the availability of other Arena indoor space, such as the Ballroom. It is also noted that there are some difficulties with competing users of some Arena Manawatū facilities wanting the courts at the same time. 17. Orienteering National participation and demographics of orienteering Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for orienteering. This makes the amount of readily accessible demographic information available limited. Young people (5-18 year olds) Orienteering is not one of the top 20 most popular sports in which all young people participate. 19% of all young people (153,800) nationally participate in orienteering one or more times a week. The proportion of young males (19%) and females (19%) participating in orienteering is similar. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 2,900 young people participate locally in orienteering with 1,450 males and 1,450 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Less than 1% of all adults participate in orienteering one or more times a week. National club membership trends Membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a steady increase in membership from 1,420 in 1997 to 2,299 in 2014 (62%). 274

107 139 Local club membership trends and discussion Sport Manawatū does not currently provide membership data for orienteering. Historically, club membership decreased from 40 members in 2000 to a low of 36 members in 2003 then peaked at 62 members in 2004 before declining to 56 members in An overall membership increased 40% between 2000 and The club organises a number of orienteering events and not all events require people to be members, such as school events. Regional and North Island School Champs can include up to 300 participants per event. Facilities Orienteering uses various forest and farmland around the greater region. Within Palmerston North the focus of use is in the Gordon Kear Forest and the Victoria Esplanade provides permanent orienteering courses. 275

108 Rugby League National participation and demographics of rugby league Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for rugby league are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Rugby league ranked 25 th most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. It is does not feature in the top 20 targeted sports by Sport NZ. 30% of all young people (241,000) nationally participate in rugby league one or more times a week. A significantly higher proportion of young males (40%) than females (19%) participate in rugby league. Rugby league is one of the top 20 most popular sport and recreation activities in which young males participate. A slightly a higher proportion of young years old (45%) males participate in rugby league than years males (35%). Note, rugby league was not listed in the survey forms given to 5-10 year olds. With the exception of Asian young people (3%), the proportion ethnic groups participating in rugby league is similar with NZ European 29%, Māori 30% and Pacific 31%. A higher proportion of young male Pacific (67%) and Māori (55%) participate in rugby league than other ethnic males. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 4,500 young people participate locally in rugby league with 3,100 males and 1,400 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Rugby league is not one of the top 20 targeted sports and recreation activities in which adults participate. 1.3% of all adults (43,084) nationally participate in rugby league one or more times a week. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 800 adults participate in rugby league locally. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a fall in membership, from 42,300 members in 1997 to a low of 15,136 members in , then a steady rise in member numbers to 33,512 members in A -21% decline in membership from

109 141 Local membership and discussion Membership data provided by the Manawatū Rugby League mirrors the national trend with a fall in members from 570 members in 1990 to a low of 225 members in 1996 followed by stable membership (225) to 2007 before increasing to 577 members in An overall 1% increase from Facilities The Arena, Coronation Park, Fitzherbert Park Oval, Monrad Park and Linton Military Camp. There are 7 rugby league fields in the City. The facilities are described as ok to good but lighting at Arena Manawatū on the back fields is poor and are restricting Friday night junior competitions games. There is also 1 rugby league field at Linton Military Camp. Supply versus demand Rugby league is one of the popular club sports. Membership has increased and this trend is expected to continue. The proportion of the population playing rugby league increased 1% 277

110 142 from The rugby league season crosses with rugby in winter and cricket in summer with which it shares the grounds. During the winter rugby league games are played over the outfield and cricket blocks at Fitzherbert Park. Touch has reached capacity on Friday nights but can move some grades to other nights if more capacity is needed, depending on the availability of the fields. More timely maintenance is needed during the transition from winter to summer sports, particularly for the start of the touch season at Fitzherbert Park as the cricket pitch centre field is too hard for league to play on until around June, despite rugby league taking over the field in April. The majority of the junior games are played at the Arena on a Friday night but is becoming dangerous because of poor lighting on the back fields. There is spare capacity to accommodate growth but this is dependent on lighting and timelier ground maintenance. Touch Manawatū is exploring changing some games to a Sunday night so rugby players are not injured for Saturday games and make the most of the daylight by spreading games over more nights. The Club would like their own ground dedicated to use by Manawatū Rugby League. League is also looking to upgrade lighting at Coronation Park for training and is currently putting a proposal to Central Energy for funding. 19. Rugby National participation and demographics of rugby Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for rugby are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Rugby is the 8 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 51% of all young people (416,000) nationally participate in rugby one or more times a week. Significantly a higher proportion of young males (65%) participate in rugby than females (37%). Rugby is one of the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities in which young males participate. A higher proportion of young male Pacific (77%) and Māori (76%) participate than young NZ European (65%) and Asian (49%) males participate. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 7,800 young people participate locally in rugby with 5,000 males and 2,800 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Rugby is not one of the top 20 targeted sports and recreation activities in which adults participate, it ranks 25 th. 4% of all adults (119,308) nationally participate in rugby one or more times a week, with a higher proportion of adult males (7%) than females (1%) participating. A higher proportion of Pacific (14%) adults participate in rugby than other ethnicities. 278

111 143 If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 2,200 adults participate in rugby locally with 2,000 adult males and 200 adult females. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ for rugby shows a constant increase in membership from 123,481 members in 1997 to 148,483 members in 2014 increasing by 20% between 1997 and Local membership and discussion The club membership data provided by the Manawatū Rugby Union shows a rickety decline in members from 4,690 in 1990 to an all-time low of 4,231 members in 2014 with peak members reaching 6,250 members in Rugby membership decreased -10% from The membership numbers do not include secondary school participants from outside of the Manawatū Rugby Union boundary that play competitions in Palmerston North (from 279

112 144 Masterton to Whanganui and including Horowhenua and Kapiti). There are 27 teams from outside the region that play in the Manawatū competition. Facilities Rugby facilities are centralised at the Arena Manawatū. Other facilities used by rugby include: Bill Brown Park, Bunnythorpe Domain, Colquhoun Park, Coronation Park, Lincoln Park, Ongley / Manawaroa Park, Paneiri Park, Papaioea Park, Savage Reserve, and Cloverlea Park. There are also rugby fields at Massey University, the Sport and Rugby Institute and the Linton Military Camp. The Massey University Sport and Rugby Institute receive a service fee of $50,000 from Council. Rugby shares its fields with rugby league. Ground conditions depend on the season and how much rugby and rugby league is played on the fields. Ground conditions are described as good, 2015 was one of the wettest seasons on record and according to the Manawatū Rugby Union field conditions held up well against the higher rainfall and higher use. The Manawatū Rugby Union is happy with the quality of fields and appreciates the good working relationship they have with the Council staff looking after the fields. There are currently approximately 40 rugby playing fields and 8 rugby training fields in the City with some use made of the Arena Manawatū indoor facilities for practices and meetings. Supply versus demand Rugby is one of the popular club sports. Membership in rugby is static but the proportion of the population playing rugby decreased -6% from Rugby facilities are generally centralised at the Arena Manawatū, with games played on a number of City parks. Existing facilities meet current demand and 3 fields were relinquished this last season (2015) at the Ashhurst Domain for football in exchange for an additional field at Colquhoun Park. Also, 2 fields were added at Cloverlea Park for Rippa Rugby and the Manawatū Rugby Union is considering increasing the number of fields for Rippa Rugy next season to 4 fields at Cloverlea Park to accommodate increased demand for Rippa Rugby. According to the Manawatū Rugby Union there will be more mid-week school programmes and more midweek games in the future rather than more traditional Saturday play, thus reducing pressure on grounds on Saturdays. Also, secondary schools are a growth area and numbers are starting to increase. Typically, ground conditions deteriorate as the winter season progresses. There is limited flexibility to play night rugby in the City due to poor lighting. The club would like the flexibility to play under lights mid-week as a way of moving away from traditional Saturday afternoon games. Also, rugby supporters have been suggesting the Arena is lacking a further grandstand and has capacity and quality shortcomings compared to some peer Council facilities. There is currently spare ground capacity to accommodate an increase in rugby games, with additional capacity if lighting at the Arena Manawatū was improved. The changing rooms at Colquhoun Park are communal and need to be upgraded. 20. Softball (and T-ball) National participation and demographics of softball Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for softball are: 280

113 145 Young people (5-18 year olds) Softball is the 18 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 37% of all young people (300,000) nationally participate in softball one or more times a week. The proportion of young males (38%) and females (36%) participating in softball is similar. Softball does not feature in the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities for young ethnic groups. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 5,700 young people participate locally in softball with 2,900 males and 2,800 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Softball is not one of the top 20 targeted sports and recreation activities in which adults participate. 1.1% of adults participate in softball one or more times a week. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows membership has increased 29% from 20,790 members in 1997 to a peak at 32,520 in 2014 before declining to 26,895 in Local membership and discussion Membership provided by Sport Manawatū and the Manawatū Softball Association shows an erratic decline (32%) in membership from 1,050 members in 1990 to 713 members in According to Manawatū Softball they are still growing their game with the reintroduction of the men s competition and secondary school competitions played mid-week. Member numbers are growing ever so slightly. 281

114 146 Facilities Colquhoun Park is the main venue used for softball, which is also host to national secondary school champs. The field is good but in need of maintenance. There are approximately 11 fields and 2 skin diamonds. The Colquhoun Park fields are also used by Touch Manawatū in summer. Linton Military Camp and Ohakea Airforce base also host tournaments. Supply versus demand A small number of people play softball, which has experienced a number of ups and downs in membership. This is growing again with the reintroduction of men s competition and secondary school competitions being played mid-week, and more grass diamonds may be required. Currently, there is an adequate provision of softball fields that meets current demand. If membership continues to increase there is space for more softball diamonds within existing grounds. More accessible toilet facilities are required at Colquhoun Park. Existing toilet facilities are not located conveniently to where games are being played and people have to travel a long way to get to the toilets. Also, out of hours access to toilet facilities is required for children playing at Colquhoun Park. Note. Colquhoun Park is shared with touch rugby, which also has increasing membership. There may be implications for the use of shared space for touch or softball if both sports continue to grow. Colquhoun Park is described as in good condition but in need of maintenance. There are small issues with the transition from winter sports finishing and softball starting in October with a small window of opportunity, made worse by poor weather, for field maintenance. The Manawatū Softball Association believes the grounds will need to be upgraded to meet future needs and the club is considering relocating some skin diamonds, and upgrading some diamonds to turf. The Association would like the grounds upgraded to enable the hosting of international tournaments. 282

115 Special Olympics Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for special olympics. demographic analysis provided at this point. There is no National participation Young people (5-18 year olds) Special Olympics involves a number of sports, including football, swimming, basketball, bocce, athletics, golf, equestrian, ten pin, indoor bowls, power lifting, table tennis, snow sports skiing/board, social cycling. National club membership trends There is no Sport NZ membership data for special olympics. Local club membership trends and discussion Membership information provided by Special Olympics Manawatū shows a steady increase in members from 125 members in 2009 to 275 members in Facilities Special Olympics use a variety of different sports and recreation facilities in the City, some of which are privately provided. Venues include: Bowlaramaa, Community Leisure Centre, Highbury Whanau Centre, Human Movement, church halls, PN Golf Club, Riding for Disabled and private equestrian providers. 22. Squash National participation and demographics of squash Sport NZ does not currently provide a sport profile for squash. This makes the amount of readily accessible demographic information available limited. Young people (5-18 year olds) Squash is not one of the top 20 most popular sports in which all young people participate. 1.5% of all young people nationally participate in squash one or more times a week. 283

116 148 The proportion of young males (1.6%) and females (1.4%) participating in squash is similar. Adults (16+ year olds) 2.4% of all adults participate in squash one or more times a week. National club membership trends Membership data provided by Sport NZ for squash shows membership peaked at 33,936 members in 2000 before rapidly declining (51%) to 16,595 members in From 2003 to 2014 membership has increased gradually (14%) to 18,934 members. Local club membership trends and discussion Membership data taken from the Squash Associations annual reports shows a steady rise in members, from 315 members in 2000 to peak members of 1,170 in 2010 followed by a rapid decline 35.5% to 755 members in Note. The membership date includes the membership for Inspire gym and the reason for the decline is opening of other gyms. 284

117 149 Facilities Palmerston North has a high standard of squash facilities at Inspire Squash Gym and separate Manawatū bowling club on Linton Street. These provide for club sports and casual court hire. The club boasts 8 glass back squash courts including a championship gallery court along with a public gym. There are 3 ASB courts with 'movable wall' courts which allow members to also play doubles on full-sized courts. Other facilities include; pro-shop, club office, bar and lounge, changing rooms and free parking for members and guests. The Inspire Squash gym is host to 5 national tournaments, such as the PSA NZ Squash open. There are also 2 courts at Ashhurst Village Valley Centre and 3 courts at the Massey University Recreation Centre. 23. Swimming National participation and demographics of swimming Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified in Sport NZ for swimming are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Swimming is the number one top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 81% of all young people (661,000) nationally participate in swimming one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of young females (84%) than males (79%) participate in swimming. A higher proportion of 5-10 year olds (86%), than (79%) and year olds (72%) participate in swimming. A slightly a higher proportion of young NZ European (87%) and young Māori (81%) participate in swimming than young Pacific (74%) and Asian (77%) people. A higher proportion of young NZ European females (88%) participate in swimming than other ethnic males and females. 285

118 150 If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 12,500 young people participate locally in swimming with 6,100 males and 6,400 females. Adults (18+ year olds) Swimming is the 2 nd top most popular sport and recreation activity in which adults participate regularly. 30% of all adults (1 million) nationally participate in swimming one or more times a week. The proportion of adults participating in swimming declines with age with a higher proportion of year olds (69.5%) participating in swimming than of year olds (29%) and of 75+ year olds (8%). A higher proportion of NZ European (31%), Māori (28%), and Asian (30%) adults than Pacific adults (20%) participate in swimming. If national proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 19,010 adults participate locally in swimming with 8,011 males and 11,033 females. National club membership trends Membership data provided by Sport NZ shows a gradual -28% decline in members from 24,268 members in 1997 to 17,389 in Local membership and discussion Swimming membership data provided by Swimming Manawatū shows a gradual decrease in members, from 493 in 1993 to 371 members in 2007 followed by a rise to peak members at 967 in From the peak membership fell 192 (-20%) to 775 members in Membership increased 57% from

119 151 In contrast to membership numbers, Lido entry numbers declined (-3%) from , while Freyberg entry numbers increased (50%). Also entries for school groups and programmes increased significantly from while aqua aerobics and canoe polo have decreased. Facilities Public swimming facilities include: H2O gym at Palmerston North Boys High School, Freyberg Community Pool, West End Aquatic Centre, Linton Military base, Lido Aquatic Centre Ashhurst Community Pool (Ashhurst School). The Lido Aquatic Centre and Freyberg Community Pool are in a generally good condition. Use of the pools increased following the Lido $5.6 million upgrade in 2002 and patronage has remained at the same levels until 2014 when the outdoor slides and zero depth play facilities were added in a private/public partnership. Availability of pool space generally meets community needs. Supply versus demand Pool facilities are used by swim clubs, for recreational purposes and for casual use. Swimming is one of the most popular sports of young people and adults. A small number of people participate in swim clubs, which are popular with all ages but particularly with females. It is noted that there are some difficulties with competing users of some aquatic facilities wanting the pools at the same time. 24. Table Tennis National participation and demographics of table tennis Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for table tennis are: Young people (5-18 year olds) 287

120 152 Table tennis is the 13 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 41% of all young people (302,000) nationally participate in table tennis one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of young males (46%) than young females (35%) participate in table tennis. Table tennis does not feature in the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities for young ethnic groups. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 6,300 young people participate locally in table tennis with 3,600 males and 2,700 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Table tennis does not feature in the top 20 most popular sport and recreation activities in which adults participate, it ranks 22 nd. 4.5% of adults (209,000) participate in table tennis one or more times a week. The proportion of adult males (6%) and females (3%) participating in table tennis is similar. Table tennis does not feature in the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities for adult ethnic groups. If national proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 3,600 adults participate locally in table tennis with 1,800 males and 2,800 females. National club membership trends There is no current membership data provided by Sport NZ for table tennis. Historically, table tennis club membership declined 58% from 5,753 members in 1997 to a low of 2,421 in 2000 then shot up 103% to 4,915 members in Local membership and discussion Membership data provided by Table Tennis Manawatū from shows it rose 25% from 349 members in 2012 to 435 in 2013 and declined 25% to 349 in

121 153 Facilities The main venue for table tennis is the Arena Manawatū. Hokowhitu School Hall and Takaro Bowling Clubrooms are also used. Supply versus demand Only a small number of people are table tennis members, which is popular with young people. Members currently fit the required table tennis tables into the space provided. Minimum space requirements depend on the level of play. 25. Tennis National participation and demographics of tennis Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified in Sport NZ for tennis are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Tennis is ranked 21 st most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 35% of all young people (283,000) nationally participate in tennis one or more times a week. The proportion of young males (36%) and females (34%) participating in tennis is similar. Tennis does not feature in the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities for young ethnic groups. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 5,400 young people participate locally in tennis with 2,800 males and 2,600 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Tennis ranks 14 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all adults participate. 289

122 154 6% of adults (209,000) participate in tennis one or more times a week. The proportion of adult males (7%) and females (6%) participating in tennis is similar. Tennis does not feature in the top 10 most popular sport and recreation activities for adult ethnic groups. If national proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 3,973 adults participate locally in tennis with 1,958 males and 2,000 females. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ for tennis shows club membership has steadily declined 24% from 48,987 members in 1997 to 37,152 members in 2012 then increased slightly (5%) to 38,909 members in Membership declined 21% from Local membership and discussion The club membership numbers provided by Sport Manawatū and Tennis Manawatū show membership has progressively declined -65% from its peak in 1991 of 2,144 members to 732 members in

123 155 Facilities There are 48 tennis courts provided by Palmerston North City Council: 2 at Bill Brown Park 4 indoor courts at Arena Manawatū 4 at Awapuni Park 12 at Vautier Park 8 at Wallace Park 4 at Takaro Park 4 at Colquhoun Park 1 at Lakemba Reserve 1 at Kelvin Grove Park 8 at Huia Street Reserve owned by the Manawatū Lawn Tennis Club on Council land. Schools and Massey University also provide courts/artificial grass surfaces suitable for tennis. The main venues for tennis are Vautier Park and the Manawatū Lawn Tennis Club courts and these are in good condition. The Manawatū Lawn Tennis Club maintains its own facilities. Vautier Park has had maintenance completed on courts 1-6 but courts 7-12 have not been maintained for some years and are in need of maintenance. There are unused tennis court at Takaro Park. Supply versus demand Tennis is one of the popular club sports but Tennis club membership has been declining steadily since The proportion of the population playing tennis decreased -2% from According to Tennis Manawatū the number of casual tennis players has been growing. Facilities mostly meet current tennis needs. There is no shortage of tennis courts available for organised and casual play. There is a variety of tennis courts scattered throughout the City with a number of unused tennis courts that could be repurposed, such as Takaro Park. In addition there are tennis courts provided by some schools. Tennis Manawatū wants more clubs in closer proximity to where people are living to create more local competition. There are currently no suitable indoor tennis facilities and Tennis 291

124 156 Manawatū would like an indoor facility to provide all-weather us. It was suggested the vacant land at Huia Reserve would suit their need for an indoor tennis facility. 26. Touch rugby National participation and demographics of touch rugby Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for touch rugby are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Touch is the 9 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 51% of all young people (412,700) nationally participate in touch one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of young males (58%) than females (44%) participate in touch. A higher proportion of young Pacific (72%) and Māori (63%) than young NZ European (28%) and Asian (27%) people participate in touch. A slightly higher proportion of young Pacific (75%) males participate in touch than other ethnicities, males and females. A higher proportion of young Māori (60%) and Pacific (69%) females participate in touch than other female ethnic groups. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 7,800 young people participate locally in touch with 4,500 males and 3,300 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Touch is the 20 th top most popular sports and recreation activities in which adults participate. 5% of all adults (163,000) nationally participate in touch one or more times a week, with slightly higher proportion of adult males (7%) than females (3%) participating. A higher proportion of Pacific (14%) adults than Māori (12%) adults and other ethnicities participate in touch. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 3,100 adults participate in touch locally with 2,200 adult males and 900 adult females. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ for touch rugby shows a 49% increase in membership from 75,000 members in 1997 to 111,472 in

125 157 Local membership and discussion Club membership data provided by Sport Manawatū and the Manawatū Touch Association shows a sharp increase (457%) in membership, from 600 members in 1990 to a high of 3,344 members in This was followed by a gradual decline (43%) to 1,900 members in 2009 before rising rapidly (77%) to 3,365 members in 2014, slightly above the high in Facilities Touch rugby is played at 10 touch fields at Colquhoun Park and 15 junior fields at Monrad Park as well as fields at Monrad intermediate. Touch used to use Ongley Park but this is now primarily used for cricket. Supply versus demand Touch is one of the popular club sports. The Manawatu Touch Association membership is increasing and this is a trend reflected nationally. The proportion of the population playing touch increased 65% from

126 158 Existing grounds are just meeting current demand because of the size of the playing fields. But the main junior and adult competitions are at capacity with regards to fields size and time/space. Demand management techniques are being used to manage the number of teams playing and games played. Note. Touch shares Colquhoun Park with softball. The current sharing of grounds with touch has worked well as touch is played mid-week and softball is played mostly weekends. Clashes occur when tournaments are held; currently softball games are postphoned to accommodate touch tournaments. Membership for both sports is increasing and this has implications for the future of both sports as the Manawatū Touch Association don t want to encroach on softball pitches/fields and redraw lines each week. There is insufficient space within existing grounds to grow participation and more field capacity is required for touch. According to the Manawatū Touch Association the condition of fields are adequate but playing surface quality at the start of the season transition from winter to summer sport are poor with roughness, ruts and deep field marking. Also, there is a lack of grounds suitable for national touch tournaments which were previously hosted at Ongley Park, the only ground large enough to host such events, but this is used for cricket. National touch tournaments are no longer held in Palmerston North. The Manawatū Touch Association would like minimum fields (15 preferable) to allow growth and to host national touch tournaments. Touch is exploring potential partnerships with Fregberg Rugby Club, and Manawatū Softball Association at the Colquhoun Sports Complex. 27. Triathlon (and duathlon) National participation and demographics of triathlon The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for triathlon are: Young people (5-18 year olds) 14% of all young people nationally participate in triathlon one or more times a week. The proportion of young males (14%) and females (13%) participating in triathlon is similar. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 2,100 young people participate locally in triathlon, with 1,081 male and 1,019 female. Adults (16+ year olds) There is no triathlon participation data provided by Sport NZ for adults. National club membership trends There is no membership data provided by Sport NZ for triathlon. Local club membership trends and discussion The club membership data provided by the Manawatū Triathlon Club shows reasonably stable membership from , followed by a decline in 2012 (45%) to a low 128 members before increasing to 198 members in An overall -10% decline in members from

127 159 Facilities Triathlon facilities include: Freyberg Community Pool, Lido Aquatic Centre, Skoglund Park and Linton Military Camp. Supply and demand There are a small number of triathlon members, which has been fairly static. Family numbers have been increasing with more families competing together. According to the Manawatū Triathlon Club, existing facilities are in excellent condition but not are designed for triathlon as cycle and pool access for competitors is awkward. Ideally, the club would like a 50 metre covered swimming pool that is not land locked by major roads. 28. Volleyball National participation and demographics of volleyball Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for volleyball are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Volleyball is ranked 24 th most popular sport and recreation activity in which all young people participate. 30% of all young people (241,500) nationally participate in volleyball one or more times a week. A slightly higher proportion of young females (33%) than males (26%) participate in volleyball. A slightly higher proportion of year olds (37%) than year olds (22%) participate in volleyball. There was no data provided by Sport NZ for 5-10 year olds. A higher proportion of young Pacific (25%) than other ethnicities participate in volleyball. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 4,600 young people participate locally in volleyball with 2,100 males and 2,500 females. Adults (16+ year olds) 295

128 160 Volleyball is ranked 30 most popular sports and recreation activities in which adults participate. 3% of all adults (96,109) nationally participate in volleyball one or more times a week, with slightly higher proportion of adult males (7%) than females (3%) participating. A slightly higher proportion of Pacific (14%) adults than other ethnicities participate in volleyball. If national participation proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 1,800 adults participate in volleyball locally, including 300 Pacific people. National club membership trends The club membership data provided by Sport NZ shows steady decline (-93%) in volleyball membership from Local membership and discussion Membership numbers provided by Sport Manawatū and Palmerston North Volleyball shows a gradual increase (69%) in membership from 227 members in 1990 to 384 in 2007 followed by a sharp (123%) increase to 855 members in Palmerston North Volleyball keeps team numbers rather than individual member numbers and says that the number of teams playing has been gradually increasing. 296

129 161 Facilities The Arena Manawatū is the main venue for volleyball which has around 20 courts. School gyms are also used for volleyball. There are also 2 volleyball courts at Massey University, 1 beach and 1 grass volleyball court. Lido Aquatic Centre removed its beach volleyball court in late 2000 s. It is noted that there are some difficulties with competing users of some Arena Manawatū facilities wanting the courts at the same time. Supply versus demand There is a small number of people playing volleyball, which is popular with year olds and Pacific people. Volleyball is played in winter at the Arena Manawatū. Entries are currently capped and growth in participation is limited by the number and availability of courts at the Arena. Volleyball is one of the popular club sports. Volleyball membership has been fairly static but increased sharply between 2009 and 2014 with entries in 2015 capped as numbers reached capacity for the B & M Centre and Ball Room facilities. Volleyball is played at a number of halls throughout the City but the main venue is the Arena Manawatū. 29. Walking (for fitness) National participation and demographics of walking Participation varies from club membership. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. The key demographic profiles identified by Sport NZ for walking are: Young people (5-18 year olds) Walking is the 6 th top most popular sport and recreation activity in which year old young people participate. Note, the Sport NZ survey form given to 5-10 year olds did not include walking. 297

130 162 60% of year old young people (486,000) nationally participate in walking one or more times a week. A significantly higher proportion of young females (73%) than males (47%) participate in walking. A significantly higher proportion of year olds (62%) than year olds (58%) participate in walking. A significantly higher proportion of young Pacific (63%) and Asian (64%) people than NZ European (38%) and Māori (33%) participate in walking. If national proportions for young people are applied to the local population of young people, then it is estimated that 9,200 young people participate locally in walking with 3,700 males and 5,500 females. Adults (16+ year olds) Walking is the number one top most popular sport and recreation activity in which all adults participate. 60% of all adults participate in walking one or more times a week. A significantly higher proportion of adult females (72%) than males (47%) participate in walking. A higher proportion of year olds (70%) participate in walking than year old (40.5%) and 25 to 49 (59%) year olds and 75+ year olds (62%). A higher proportion of NZ European (63%) than Māori (47%), Pacific (52%) and Asian (52%) people participate in walking. If national proportions for adults are applied to the local population of adults, then it is estimated that 37,800 adults participate locally in walking with 13,800 males and 24,000 females. National club membership 83 trends There is no membership data provided by Sport NZ for walking. Many people take part in active leisure and sports in environments outside the club scene. Paths and walkways in towns and cities are one of the most used facilities people use for recreation and exercise 84. Local club membership trends and discussion Sport Manawatū does not currently provide membership data for walking and club data is unavailable. The Manawatū Striders membership has been increasing. Manawatū Striders runs a super seven walking event each year for 7 weeks which involves participants. Numbers for the super sevens have stayed constant. Many people take part in walking and jogging in environments outside the club scene. Census data shows that City has a high share of residents who walk or job to work (8.9%). Facilities The Council provides 68 km of walkways and they are extended at a rate of about 600 m per annum. The current provision equates to 0.6 metres per person. Local walking facilities include: the Victoria Esplanade, Manawatū River pathway, the network of tracks in Aokautere and the cycle/pedestrian path on the Fitzherbert Bridge and out to Massey University, the Arapuke Forest Park, in and around the racecourse, the Hokowhitu Lagoon, and Te Apiti the Manawatū Gorge track. The figure below shows increasing patronage of the Manawatū Gorge Track. 83 Sport NZ 84 Page

131 163 Manawatu Gorge Track 60,000 50,000 40,000 Walkers 30,000 20,000 10, Year Supply and demand Walking is one of the most popular activities everyone participates in. Walking is a high participation activity for older people and our ageing population means demand for and on walkways is likely to increase. Refer to Appendix Six of the Draft Recreation Needs Assessment 2015 for the long-term walkway scheme (Master Plan). Recent extension of the walkways has been focused on the Manawatū River, Pioneer Highway pathway to Longburn, Mangaone Stream, Summerhill gullies and in the Kahuterawa Outdoor Recreation Hub area. There are also projects planned from the City to Ashhurst (right bank) and the City to Linton Military Camp via Massey University. 30. Other Sport and Recreation Activities There are a number of popular sport and recreation activities not included above that place demand on the Council, community and school halls and facilities. These include: Palmerston North Young People Participation 16+ Participation Activity M F Total Rank M F Total Rank % % (estimated) % % % (estimated) % Dance (6,300) (6,159) 8 Martial Arts (2,700) Māori activities (4,800) 22 <1 Aerobics Included in (5,646) 11 gymsports for kids Pilates/Yoga < (6,615) 7 Callisthenics (3,840) 16 Exercise (2,268) classes 299

132 164 Tai chi 1.1 Darts <1 <1 <1 < <1 <1 <1 1 Other sport and recreation activities that place demand on swimming pools: Young People Participation 16+ Participation M % F % Total (estimated) % M % F % Total (estimated) % Aquarobics 2.8 (1,764) Water Polo <1 <1 <1 (Flippa ball) Canoe Polo <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 Underwater <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 Hockey Diving (spring boarding) <1 <1 <1 Other sport and recreation activities that place demand on pathways: Young People Participation 16+ Participation Activity M F Total % Rank M % F Total % Rank and rank % % % Tramping (7,900) (6,121) 11 Running (11,700) (12,072) 8 Mountain Biking (4,184) 26 Trail Bike <1 Riding 300

133 165 G. Appendix Two: Regional sport and recreation facilities plan/ framework 301

134 166 Lead: Sport Manawatu Regional Facilities Plan PNCC: CF Strategic Overview CN Facilities development & impact Active Recreation Strategy Lead: City Future Recreation Needs Assessment Lead: City Future Recreation and Sports Families Concept Plans Lead: City Future Reserves Concept Plans Lead: City Future River Aquatic Sportsgrounds & Courts Arena Outdoor Recreation Pathways City-Wide Neighbourhood Playgrounds Existing Documentation: Athletics Track MoU Arena Master Plan (framework) Kohuterawa Outdoor Recreation Plan River Framework (in progress) Existing Documentation: City Centre Framework City-Wide Vegetation Local Facilities Management Plan/s Lead: City Networks Reserve Management Plans Lead: City Networks Asset Management Plans Lead: City Networks 302

135 167 H. Appendix Three: Past findings and priorities 303

136 168 Planned pavilion renewals at Bill Brown park, Colquhoun Park, Hokowhitu Domain, Lincoln Park (Ashhurst) and Bunnythorpe Domain are included in the AMP and LTP. Past Findings and Priorities since 2005 recreation needs assessment Sports Grounds and Facilities 2005 recommendations Progress since 2005 Field Sports Renewals and quality focus Palmerston North City Council should continue to concentrate on its current direction for renewals and improvement to the quality of facilities at exiting field sport area, before initiating new greenfields projects. Centralisation is placing increased demand on large field areas and their associated facilities including toilets, changing facilities and, to a lesser extent, seating. A proposal to develop further fields in Aokautere was cancelled as a result of this direction. The Colquhoun Park sportsfield drainage was improved in 2005 to Drainage improvement programmes were included in AMP s and submitted to LTP preparation processes. The 2015/25 LTP includes Programme 1097 for drainage from for various sportsfields. 304 Pavilion renewals have been completed at: Ongley park Skogland Park Vautier Park Coronation park A review of costs to meet the drainage needs of the four parks identified in the 2002 NZ Sports Turf Institute report should be completed and a programme for implementation presented to the Long Term Council Community Plan. This has been partially addressed by reviewing sports field Programme 1133 has been included in the LTP for provision of an artificial sportsfield, subject to 50% funding from external sources in 2019 to Drainage improvement programmes were included in AMP s and submitted to LTP preparation processes. The 2015/25 LTP includes Programme 1097 for drainage from for various sportsfields.

137 improvement budgets in the 2005/2006 year. The report established minimum drainage standards but current Long Term Council Plan programmes do not allocate sufficient funding to meet the recommended specifications. Improving drainage to meet minimum quality standards will also increase the capacity of fields. Full implementation of the report will require increased capital funding in Long Term Council Plan budgets in the short term. Training fields Palmerston North City Council should review the provision of sports field training grounds in the city and consider a range of opportunities to improve the number of training grounds. This should include exploring opportunities with those schools that may have spare capacity. Centralisation of sport is seeing activities previously played on school fields shift to large centralised grounds. The opportunity to partner with schools with large playing fields areas has not been explored fully to date. The reviews of Vautier Park/Skoglund Park/Featherston Street Pit area should consider establishing training fields in the Featherston Street Pit. There is a shortage of training field space for winter field sports with appropriate lighting. There is the opportunity to improve supply within existing budgets, in partnership with sporting organisations, which would also benefit the security of the Featherston Street Pit. Charge Grounds Palmerston North City Council should focus television standard facilities for field sports at Arena Manawatū and Memorial Park should be progressively upgraded as a boutique stadium but lighting development restricted to training and club level activity. Training facilities are still stretched at times, particularly in the winter. The planned artificial turf will likely meet a significant amount of the training demand. The potential for a training field in Edwards Pit Park (formally Featherston St Pit) remains an option and can be considered further when the contouring of the northern banks are completed. Clubs are sharing existing training lights e.g Waterloo Park and Takaro Parks lights are owned by one club which allow use by another club. A report on lighting provision was prepared in No progress on implementation has been made to date. On reflection Memorial park has limited capacity to accommodate training and matches. A review of covered seating provision at charge grounds should be No formal review was completed but there has been no demand for

138 conducted in 2007/2008. Any new facilities at Fitzherbert Park should work with hockey where possible to maximise multiple use. Administrators and user groups of the charge grounds should be asked to record the number and details of events which exceed the current capacity of covered seating at the facilities. Outdoor Court Sports Vautier Park The Vautier Park/Skoglund Park/Featherston Street Pit area reviews should consider the need for an additional rebound pro-court to meet tennis needs. Any future provision of rubberised surfaces is completed in sets of four courts. Ensuring that tennis and netball work towards multiple use of this facility provides the most optimal use in the long term. High-level tennis requires courts in sets of four courts of the same surface. The Vautier Park/Skoglund Park/Featherston Street Pit LTP budgets should be reviewed. Visions for the facility were based on significant works that have additional covered facilities at Fitzherbert Park. The Arena Manawatu review and master plan work of 2014 allowed for a covered embankment at Arena 1. Hockey Manawatu have advocated for seating expansion at the Twin turfs. Youngheart Manawatu s relegation from the national football competition means that none of the charge grounds have been experiencing an undersupply of covered seating. The Visitor Solutions Arena Manawatu Review final report 2012 suggest: Ascertaining current capacity and the ability to optimise usage of each of the arenas is one area where the lack of appropriate quality data has hindered analysis. However, at a high level the review identifies that there is a decrease in hours of use for all arenas apart from Arena 5. Assuming the original data were accurate this would suggest an opportunity potentially exists to increase the use of those arenas back to historical levels. An additional rebound pro court was provided in 2006 to make up a set of four as requested by tennis. Shade/shelter facilities were added in 2014 and Accessibility improvements have also been made and renewal of failing court surfaces completed.

139 since been discounted. Indoor Space Arena Indoor Space Indoor space requirements should be reviewed in 2006/2007 when Arena 4 has been embedded for three years. It is difficult to gauge if demand is currently outstripping supply at Arena Manawatū as Arena 2 has been under renovation. Longterm trends suggest the hours of use of Arena indoor facilities have been growing at twice the rate of population growth. More indoor space will likely be required in the medium to long term. The review should consider options for increasing the range of users in Arena 4 s inline hockey areas. In 2006 inline Hockey were relocated out of Arena Manawatu and the space they occupied was converted to 3 netball sized courts increasing the capacity by around 25%. The 2007 Master Plan for Arena Manawatu and the Council s Long Term Plan (LTP) identify that future indoor arena space will be considered for development. The master plan identifies a separate new events space as well as a community sports space which would replace the ageing Arenas 3 and 5. Given available data it is not possible to identify the need for additional space above the current levels of provision. However, an upgrade or replacement of existing facilities may be warranted dependant on a cost benefit analysis (underpinned by the currently unavailable data) being carried out. The Visitor Solutions Arena Manawatu Review final report 2012 suggest: Ascertaining current capacity and the ability to optimise usage of each of the arenas is one area where the lack of appropriate quality data has hindered analysis. However, at a high level the review identifies that there is a decrease in hours of use for all arenas apart from Arena 5. Assuming the original data were accurate this would suggest an opportunity potentially exists to increase the use of those arenas back to historical levels. The priority is likely to be for better quality facilities, which are more functional and flexible, rather than a net expansion of indoor space on the site. Visitor Solutions has been unable to sight any robust needs or demand data to support the large capital development of a separate events space at this time. Based on available data community sport is likely to remain or become even more important to Arena Manawatu in the future. To assist with the planning for the future indoor community sport space consideration should be given to the following: o Review the wider network of facilities in the city (Council

140 172 Arena Management should be asked to record cancellations of bookings for the 2-year period including the reasons for the cancellations. This information would complement booking information to assess why interruptions occur, and hence the nature of demand for indoor space. and Non Council Owned). o Maximise existing space whist gathering the required use data. o Ensure future provision for Arena 5 users. The Arena Manawatū s old and new bookings systems recorded cancellations and the reasons for these. The new booking system Priava installed in May 2015 records cancellations as a change in status and the reason for the cancellations are also recorded but these are not reported, although they could be. 308

141 Council should recommend that the development plan for Arena 5 considers including gymnastics space to meet local need if this will increase the use of the gym area. Gymnastics require a specialist space where they can leave their equipment permanently set up. Arena Manawatū management have indicated they are comfortable with providing this space within the planned development of Arena 5 if the clubs can work together Specialised Facilities Beach Volleyball The outdoor pool planning for the Lido should consider the extension of the volleyball court, fencing of the leisure pool, installation of anchors systems and low shelter fence around the court. The impact of this on the overall Lido facility should be assessed. Providing for two courts with appropriate facilities will increase the usefulness of this facility. Swimming pool regulations require fencing of the Leisure pool if the volleyball courts are to be assessable outside normal Leisure Pool hours. The beach volleyball community should be directed to appropriate funding channels to purchase a rotary hoe as the best solution to the variable maintenance needs of the sand at the Lido beach volleyball court. The quality of the sand could be improved by replacing it but it would still require maintenance. The underlying issue is the maintenance impractical. The best solution is provision to be able to undertake the maintenance as it is needed. Athletics Track Council should note the need for covered seating at the Manawatū Community Athletics Track to enable hosting significant events. There is a need for cover to meet local need and to allow large events to be attracted to the facility The Manawatū Community Athletics Track is not a Council owned facility and Council is making a significant contribution to the annual operational costs. The 2014 Arena Manawatu Review and subsequent LTP plan considerations have scheduled the Arena 5 replacement for after There is still potential to centralise gymnastics when that replacement occurs. Lido Aquatic Centre removed its beach volleyball court in late 2000 s. Massey University and its associated hostels have installed 2 courts since. Since 2007 Council and Massey University have provided a shelter/shade facility. Council has scheduled to match Massey s last contribution in 2017/2018.

142 Cycling The review of the Bike Plan should identify preferred road cycle routes and consider strategies to improve them. Evidence suggests growth in roading cycling numbers and that this is potentially a significant activity in the city. The majority of road cycling takes place in the rural environments of Palmerston North City Council area and the Manawatū District Council The review of the Bike Plan should include statistically significant survey work to establish baseline numbers of people participating in recreational and road cycling, including separate categories for mountain biking and on-road recreational cycling. There is limited data on the number and type of recreational cyclists in Palmerston North Bowls In the event that additional bowling club amalgamations occur, a strategic assessment to determine what Council owned land currently occupied by bowling clubs would provide the most benefit to other recreational purposes. The decline in bowling participants has led to club amalgamations. If this continues additional amalgamations are likely. To optimise opportunities to meet other recreational needs Council may need to take a role in the amalgamation process where it affects Council land. Covered Seating A review of covered seating provision at charge grounds 85 should be conducted in 2007/2008. By 2007/2008 the existing budgeted developments should be completed at Arena Manawatū. Also by 2007/2008 key structural changes of stakeholders (Premier 12 rugby and the new promoter for stockcars) will be embedded, the National Football Championship will be established in its current format, and trends in attendance will be The Bike Plan was updated with the Manawatu Active Transport Strategy 2007 and the Cycle Action Plan The Integrated Transport Strategy 2015 identifies priority cycle routes for Council investment. A review of Bowling clubs was completed and reported to Council in Memberships continue to decline but some clubs have had some success in supplementing their operations by accommodating other groups in their facilities. Takaro Sports Club has added an artificial bowling green and is completing the extension of their clubrooms. Youngheart Manawatu s relegation from the national football competition means that none of the charge grounds have been experiencing an undersupply of covered seating. Arena Manawatu was independently considered in the 2014 review. The only events using covered seating at the Arena are the sell-out Hurricanes games, the team champs and ITM semi-final last year, which requires people to sit in the uncovered seating. Speedway also 85 Charge grounds are those grounds that are fenced and gated so that access can be restricted and events can charge people entry.

143 175 able to be determined. Administrators and user groups of the charge grounds should be asked to record the number and details of events which exceed the current capacity of covered seating at the facilities. It is suggested that this include visual evidence (digital photographs) where ticketing information is not available. This would assist in the review recommended in 2007/2008. uses the seating but do not use it to full capacity. 311

144 176 Parks and Reserves 2005 recommendations Progress since 2005 Data on City Reserves The entrances to the four City Reserves should be added to the traffic counting schedule, to establish visitor vehicle movements. Linklater Reserve Council should look at disposal of the Linklater Block and apply the proceeds to other reserve development of acquisition. Traffic counts have not been established outside the four reserves. Additional count work has been initiated around the playground at the Victoria Esplanade. 29 spot surveys over the last two years have had simple assumptions applied and indicate the playground is used in the order of 153,000 times per year. Ownership of the Linklater Block was retained with 4.4 ha sold to provide the funds for the development of the initial 5.5 ha area off Kelvin Grove Road at no cost to the ratepayer. The initial 5.5 ha has been open for several years and proving popular as a summer slip n sliding event venue and with dog walkers in particular. 312 Since the 2005 recommendation to consider Linklater Reserve sale (if the Aokautere Lake went ahead) there have been several shifts in the urban growth directions. In the early 2000 s the direction was focused around Cloverlea, then Staces Road and Te Matai Road. The current urban growth direction is for Whakarongo, close to the Linklater Reserve, effectively extended Kelvin Grove to the east. This is expected to increase demand on/for large reserves on the eastern side of the City and Linklater Reserve is well placed to meet that demand in a timely way. Riverside Recreation Continued development, in conjunction with Horizons Regional Planning for the completion of the development of Linklater Reserve is underway and Work on the 20 ha currently not open to the public is planned to begin in 2017 and be spread over four years. The consultation for the development planning has seen a focus on a country adventure theme and a strong desire for good dog walking and park facilities. Significant improvements to the level of service along the Manawatu River have been made over the last 10 years.

145 The Manawatu Gorge Partnership has made major improvements over the last 10 years to this major drawcard on the Manawatu River. A high quality entrance and interpretation established. New loop tracks developed, feature made of the major slip. Mountain bike track additional and Council, or riverside recreation opportunities should occur bearing in mind other water-based developments being planned. Both the length and quality of the path surfaces in the urban area have been improved with a 2.9 m wide 8 km asphalt section now extending from Riverside Drive to the Holiday Park. A 3 km limestone section from the Holiday Park to Maxwells Line has been added along with significant signage upgrades, additional seating and planting work. Horizons Regional Council added two major structures in the Okatia Steps and Dittmer Drive steps which have become popular destination and points of water access. Rangitāne o Manawatu through Tanenuiarangi Manawatu Inc have added cultural history interpretation and interest to the three sites and, with the support of Council and Horizons, added associated planting/landscaping. A number of carparking access areas have been improved. Wayfinding signage has been upgraded hectare extension to Waitoetoe Park has been purchased, additional paths added within Waitotoe Park and community plantings and interpretive signage added. In the rural environments Council has made significant improvement in the community aspiration of path along the Manawatu from Ashhurst to Palmerston North which was first mooted in the early 1960 s. The first section, the 3.3 km from Raukawa Road to Ashhurst has been completed thanks to some willing landowners. The end point at the Ashhurst Manawatu River Bridge has been tidied up significantly with the addition of a sealed carpark and plantings.

146 walking track quality improvements as well as interpretive signage added. Some small progress has been made on the community aspiration for a pedestrian and cycle facility over the Manawatu River at Ashhurst. Feasibility work and consideration by NZTA is underway use numbers are now four times higher than they were in Additionally a new mountain bike section beside the Ballance Café attracted 2,788 uses in 5 months of Walkers 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Manawatu Gorge Track Year Play Facilities New playgrounds should continue to be established in urban growth areas, central to as large an area of residentially zoned land as is practical, without over lapping the catchments of other playgrounds. Council should develop additional play activities that challenge and target older children and youth including: The Featherston Street Pit/Skoglund Park/Vautier Park wider area should consider a play environment to challenge and interest older youth. Urban growth development over the last 10 years has been focused in Kelvin Grove and Aokautere. New playgrounds have been added in Kelvin Grove while Aokautere growth areas has not warranted a new playground to date. Following the 2005 RNA a Reserves Development Programme was developed and approved by Council. This programme included youth focused facility developments targeting older children (11 14 year olds): Milverton Park had a climbing frame and outdoor volleyball net added. Monrad Park had a new playground established next to Te

147 The Ashhurst Community has also successfully galvanised themselves in recent years and sourced community funds for a small skatepark development at Guildford Street Reserve The success of the skate park be built on with associated facilities developed and aimed at the youth age groups. Pātikitiki Library, Skogland Park (also central to Vautier Park and Edwards Pit Park) had a new Parkour style development as well as swings and climbing walls, and Colquhoun Park had an additional playground added at the northern end although arguably this did not successfully target the age group specified. Victoria Esplanade had features suited to older children added in Outdoor basketball improvements have been made at Kelvin Grove Park in partnership with Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Manawatu who use the courts for the school. Progress has been hampered by changes in the skating community representatives and the nature of skating is an individual sport, not built around club structures. More recently excellent progress has been made and the addition of a bowl and features to the existing railway Land Skate park will be completed in 2015/2016. The current skating community representatives appear satisfied with partial implementation within Council s portion of the overall budget and it is unlikely that there will be enough skating community organisation to fundraise for the full extension originally envisioned. Another area of potential, highlighted, was Milverton Park. This park is an excellent example of visible useful open space. The addition of play environments for older youth would complement the mix of opportunities at this location. Completed in 2006.

148 Pathways 2005 recommendations Progress since 2005 Major pathways Council should support the continued development of major pathways Demand and support is high amongst community stakeholders. There are new opportunities to work towards shared goals across organisations. Council should continue to support the Te Araroa New Zealand Trail (Length of New Zealand walkway project) The project offers the opportunity to build on community driven projects It aligns with long held vision for linkages to Feilding Being part of a national network means increased profile and buyin for local projects. The opportunity to establish a major loop pathway associated with the river through a new bridge/ and or recreational lake should be a priority for Council. The potential packaging of the wind farm and Manawatu Gorge walk should be supported as a regional project. Council should continue to pursue the Palmerston North-Ashhurst pathway linkage as land becomes available. Track development has continued at pace and there is a marked increase in community use and engagement. The Council has improved the branded signs along parts of the Te Araroa trail to better identify where the trail passes through the City. Earlier reference to a new lake in the RNA 2005 assessment has been removed. This is because the lake concept has been dropped. There are two major shared pathway projects that have been confirmed following a successful application to the Urban Cycleway Fund and indicative funding from the National Land Transport Fund. The Linton Shared Pathway and Manawatu River bridge project will receive $6.2m, and the Mangaone Stream Shared Pathway will receive $400,000 to complete two underpasses. The Manawatu Gorge Biodiversity Group has been formed to undertake Biodiversity enhancements in the Gorge area and this includes the development of new walking and cycling tracks, which have proved very popular with the public. There has been no progress with regards to linking existing windfarms with the Manawatu Gorge at this stage. The project (LTP programme 232) is well underway with the first 3.2km stage completed in November 2013 between Ashhurst Bridge and Raukawa Road.

149 Cycleways Palmerston North City Council should support development of a cycle between Feilding and Palmerston North Possible linkages with the Te Araroa project should be explored. Mountain biking Council should continue to work to develop the Kahuterawa Outdoor Recreation Hub The opportunity to develop a specialised mountain biking area on the landfill area should be pursued as a priority mountain biking facility associated with the City Mountain bike access to the Linklater Block should only be permitted if it can be provided in the interim to disposal or income generation options. At little or no cost. Land owner negotiations are still taking place for the delivery of stage 2 and 3 in order to link the pathway to the existing pathway at Riverside Drive. It is expected these stages will be delivered by 2016/17. An off-road path has been formed along part of Railway Road toward Bunnythorpe. developed in 2008 and approved in KORP included development of Arapuke Forest Park (formerly known as the Woodpecker Forest and colloquially in the mountain bike community as K-Loop). Over the last 5 years a strong partnership has developed with the Manawatu Mountain Bike Club who have committed significant volunteer hours and provided some of their own funding as well as sourcing additional funds from other sources. The forest harvest was completed 1 year early in 2015 and track building will now progress uninterrupted by forest Initial consultation suggests it will very likely include some grade 2 mountain bike track, skills features and a soil pump track. that there is an opportunity to provide some fun features for lowlevel mountain biking along the Manawatu River in the form of small skills areas and features. It is noted that these sorts of features would double as play features for children and people walking who would also sue the features. The Kahuterawa Outdoor Recreation Plan 86 (KORP) was harvest work. Linklater Reserve is now confirmed for retention and development. The draft Manawatu River Framework includes some suggestion 86 The process for the development of the management plan followed the requirements of the Reserve Management Act but official recognition was not applied for from the Department of Conservation.

150 182 I. Appendix Four: Residential areas within 500m walking distance of reserves October

151 183 all Residential Residential Rated Area Unit Rated Parcels Parcel within 500m % Aokautere % Ashhurst % Awapuni North % Awapuni South % Awapuni West % Cloverlea % Highbury % Hokowhitu East % Hokowhitu Lagoon % Hokowhitu West % Kairanga % Kelvin Grove % Longburn % Massey University % Milson % Palmerston North Central % Palmerston North Hospital % Papaeoia % Roslyn % Stoney Creek % Takaro % Terrace End % Turitea % West End % Westbrook % Whakarongo % Totals % 319

152 184 Reserves within 500m walking distance of neighbourhoods October

153 185 J. Appendix Five: Playgrounds in Palmerston North 321

154 186 Achilles Court Apollo Park Atawhai Park Awapuni Park Bill Brown Park Cambridge Ave Play Area Ashhurst Campbell Reserve Bunnythorpe Campbell Street Reserve Celaeno Park Chippendale Reserve Clausen Reserve Clyde Crescent Cloverlea Park Colquhoun Park South Colquhoun Park North Crewe Park Mahanga Kakariki Reserve Matheson Reserve Milverton Park Missoula Reserve Monrad Park Monrad Park (Library) Newton Reserve Owen Street Reserve Bunnythorpe Pacific Drive Reserve Papaioea Park Parnell Heights Reserve Peren Park Raleigh Reserve Rangiora Reserve Rangitane Park Riverdale Park Dahlstrom Reserve Salisbury Street Play Area Ashhurst David Spring Park Savage Reserve Farnham Reserve Franklin Reserve Gloucester Reserve Guildford Street Reserve/Village Valley Ashhurst Hokowhitu Domain Jefferson Reserve Kaimanawa Park (68 Kaimanawa Street) Kelvin Grove Park Skoglund Park Takaro Park Totaranui Reserve Tui Reserve Waltham Reserve Waterloo Park Rakaia Place Milson Shopping Centre Kimberley Park Lakemba Reserve Langley Reserve 322

155 187 K. Appendix Six: Long-term walkway scheme (Master Plan) 323

156 188 Long-term walkway scheme (Master Plan) 324

157 189 L. Appendix Seven: Non-Council facilities provided for public use 325

158 190 Massey University The following sport and recreation facilities are available to the public for sport and recreation use: 1 athletics track Manawatu Community Athletics Track 8 rugby fields (including the Sport and Rugby Institute) 2 soccer fields 8 outdoor courts (4 netball and 4 tennis) 1 cricket pitch 1 beach and 1 grass volleyball courts 8 sports team changing room for Massey University codes Recreation facilities within the Sports hall are accessible subject to membership, including: 2 cross court or 1 full sized basketball courts 3 cross court volleyball courts 6 badminton courts and 1 indoor netball court 3 squash courts The teaching gymnasium is accessible evenings and weekends outside of Massey University club needs but is not part of membership package. Recreation centre not open for casual use Linton Military Camp The following recreational facilities available to the public for sport and recreation use: 18 Hole Golf Course 3 rugby, 1 rugby league, and 1 soccer field Fields used in support of Linton Army teams playing in Manawatu based competitions. Note. Access into Linton Army Camp is restricted with entry subject to NZDF Security regulations. Linton Military Camp hosts a multitude of New Zealand Defence Force level and Army level codes also local club competitions Rugby, Rugby League, & Football. Other Linton based clubs play on council facilities Basketball, Softball, Netball, Volleyball etc. On a case-by-case basis access has also been allow to the camp environ to be used for Manawatu based clubs i.e. triathlon, cycle Manawatu etc. but nothing routinely permanent. International Pacific University No longer provide facilities for causal use but some fields are available for general use but are in need of drainage. 326

159 191 M. Appendix Eight: New Zealand secondary school sports events 327

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