Teens say it's a mall world

Samantha Templeton (left) and Chloe Davidson, both 18, shopping at Westfield Manukau. Picture / Dean Purcell

Ask Manukau teenagers what they like in their city, and one thing stands out above everything else - shopping.

A survey by youth support service Youthline of 100 people aged 11 to 21 in Westfield's Manukau mall, found 28 people who liked "shopping" or "the mall", followed by 12 who nominated "good to hang out with friends" and 10 who said "meeting new people".

"It's got lots in it, like this shopping mall," 18-year-old science student Chloe Davidson told the Herald in the mall yesterday. "It has bowling down the road and Rainbow's End. Everything's here."

Ana Malo, also 18, a travel and tourism student at the Manukau Institute of Technology, said: "I love this mall. Everything is, like, perfect."

Asked if there was anything she would like to change in Manukau, she said: "Maybe add more stores to it."

The survey was conducted as research for a "youth development model" for Manukau, funded by the local district health board and launched in Mangere yesterday.

As well as asking what was "phat" (good) in Manukau, the survey asked what was "wakt" (bad).

"Too many gangstas" (16 people) topped that list, followed by "fights/security" (11) and slow or confusing buses (7).

Victor Wilson, 17, a year 12 student at De La Salle College, said the worst thing was the gangs.

"There's too much of them, they are getting too serious," he said.

"It's getting to the stage where you have to carry a gun."

Asked what they would like to change in Manukau, the youngsters suggested "more entertainment" (13 people), "a cool hangout place" (7) and "better shops" (6).

Health board youth health funder Gelli Sinclair said the survey showed that the biggest need was for safe activities so young people did not get bored and get into trouble.

She said the youth development model would be used to give young people a say in more decisions.

For example, a major conference of Pacific churches to update a campaign to improve nutrition and exercise among their people, being organised for 1000 people by the health board on November 22-23, will include about 300 youngsters aged 13 to 24.

About 50 churches have signed up to the campaign, intended to counter the fact that 80 per cent of Pacific Islands adults are considered overweight or obese, and 60 per cent of those aged from 5 to 15.


How they rate

What's phat in Manukau
* Shopping/the mall 28
* Good to hang out with friends 12
* Meeting new people 10
* Cinema 7
* Everything 7
* Ultra Zone 7
* Restaurants 5
* Food 4

What's wakt in Manukau
* Too many gangstas 16
* Fights/security 11
* Buses slow/confusing 7
* Too compacted 6
* Dirty & run-down 3