Media Statement
18 September 2007
Roger Ellis (Wellington City Council Candidate)

“Put Health Ahead of Profits at Waterfront”

The Council should “promote health ahead of commercialisation of the Waterfront” says Wellington City Council candidate, Roger Ellis.

The widespread concerns about heart disease, obesity and other ills of modern living have at least a partial solution in regular physical exercise. Indoor sports plays a key part in this and the central city venue at Sheds 1 and 6 make it easy for working people to participate in such exercise during lunchtime or after work.

Wellingtonians make 130,000 visits a year to the waterfront to play indoor sports in Council-owned facilities. Over 2,000 people play indoor sport on the waterfront each week. Not only do they play sport they all contribute financially to the operators and to Wellington City Council.

If current development proposals go ahead in their current form then indoor sports teams will be displaced.

“The Council needs to take a broader view and recognise the huge health benefits of promoting better physical fitness and sporting activity in the central city area” says Mr Ellis.

“I call on the Council to act now to ensure that there is adequate provision for indoor sports facilities in the central city area. It’s not appropriate to devolve public policy-making to a commercially-driven entity” said Mr Ellis.

“Championing access to facilities for families and employees to be able to play indoor sports in a central location will be a key issue for me as a City Councillor if elected” said Mr Ellis.

“I accept that some commercial development will be required to attract people to the waterfront but it seems ridiculous to me to stop an activity like indoor sports - that already attracts thousands of people to the waterfront – without providing suitable alternative arrangements” said Mr Ellis.

ENDS

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