Do you play a sport? Are there sports you would like to play that aren’t available? Are you happy with the sports facilities Marlborough offers or do you think more can be done?

The public has the opportunity to consider all these questions and more now that consultation is open on Marlborough District Council’s Draft Sports Facilities Strategic Plan. The draft plan was adopted by the Council last week following an eight month review process. The public have until 5.00 pm on Friday 29 January to comment.

Councillor Michael Fitzpatrick, who holds the region’s sports portfolio, said this was the public’s chance to review the plan in the context of the sport they play currently or sports they might like to play in the future.

It identifies possible changes, updates or additions which could be made to the Council’s sports facilities network over the next ten years, which will also inform the Council’s Long Term Plan.

“The plan covers the current and future facility ‘wants and needs’ of sporting codes in Marlborough. We are keen to support continued investment in ‘sports hubs’ to increase the shared use of facilities, which gives the smaller sporting codes a place to call home too,” said Clr Fitzpatrick.

The Council has already completed a survey of sports groups and run a series of well-attended stakeholder workshops as part of the review. “The workshops provided an opportunity for the different sporting codes to talk to each other about their needs which was very helpful to the process,” said Clr Fitzpatrick.

The draft plan highlights a need to investigate artificial surface requirements for sport in the region and the feasibility of extra floodlit fields for winter sports.

“The combined colleges construction project has also been identified as a significant opportunity to provide enhanced facilities to the wider community, in partnership with others,” he said. “Many of the facilities that the Council provides for sports have broader amenity value to the public and we are keen to develop that further to serve both the sporting communities and the general public.”

The review has also highlighted the changing face of Marlborough, with both an aging population and also one that is more culturally diverse, as well as changing trends in the popularity of some sports.

“These changes will have an impact on what sports are preferred and how people participate in them so we need to consider this carefully for the long term benefit of all sports in Marlborough,” said Clr Fitzpatrick.

For more information go to:

https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/have-your-say-consultations

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