Letter to the Editor, Thursday March 12, 2015

Our vision

In reply to Mayor John Carter's article, Places powered by people (Northland Age, March 5), as a member of the Te Hiku Sports Hub I would like to present again our vision for Kaitaia as centre of the top of New Zealand, Te Hiku ward. We are in the process of developing a sports hub in the southern part of Kaitaia township, on the council-owned Moerua Park.

This area adjoins the historic A&P showgrounds which in turn adjoins the amazing Te Ahu complex. How unique this area will be to have so much in the way of community facilities when it is all completed and within walking distance of the township.

The sports hub will comprise an aquatic centre of heated indoor pools for lap swimming, hydrotherapy and learners, also the swim club. The land around this building will be used by the sporting codes of football (soccer), rugby league, cricket, athletics, archery, netball and a walking exercise area around the perimeter.

Yes, we will be part of the 'one-voice, one-vision' as we have the people, the passion and the perseverance to work toward this action plan. Our ancestors were all hard-working people who lived here because they loved the area and appreciated the quality of life it could give them. Over the years many other people have come, settled and stayed for the same reasons.

As a community we are seriously disadvantaged by not having adequate sporting facilities for our people, young and old. The same can be said for health reasons, no large hydrotherapy pool for recuperating stroke and cardio victims, hip and knee replacement operations or weight loss exercise. There is also the social aspect of giving our youth a place to go.

Our present town pool has served us well for the past 60 years but is now on borrowed time and will probably function for only four more years. I can't imagine life in Kaitaia without a pool, so that is why we see the urgency for working towards an indoor heated one, the practical way to go.

This is a real need for a healthy community and not a luxury. We have people power that are prepared to work towards this to make it happen.

So this is how I would like to see the Te Hiku Ward in 2050. A thriving area with a community centre such as the sports hub, that is serving our needs and has attracted people from afar to come live and enjoy.

This is what we will be asking for in our submissions to the FNDC long-term plan later this month.

PAT DAVIS

Spokesperson, Te Hiku Sports Hub

Kaitaia