Opinion: Stratford mayor Neil Volzke says fun can be affordable

Charlie Lister-Hardman enjoying trying out the town's new half basketball court when it first opened. Photo / Ilona Hanne

When times are tough, by necessity, people find themselves having to make difficult decisions on how to save money and how to stretch their dollars further.

Food, fuel and energy are always near the top of the priority list of people’s needs and these must-have items are often difficult to cut back on. More discretionary items therefore become the main target for cutbacks and for some families, especially larger ones, leisure activities and sports are the first things to get put on the back burner.

It is not the fault of the family; it is simply the reality of living within your means. Sometimes this can be really hard on the children, who feel like they are missing out and who need different activities to stimulate them and use up some of the abundance of energy they have. Councils can and do play a role here by providing community facilities that are either free or at a very low cost for users.

In fact, the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing criteria embedded within the Local Government Act 2000 require councils to do anything a council considers is likely to promote or improve their community, within this context. It is largely an open-ended licence to do what you like and in the past, some councils have done just that. The trick is keeping a realistic and practical lid on council expenditure and balancing the demands and public expectations that are growing all the time, as is the cost of building, operating and maintaining these facilities. This is a key challenge for councils everywhere.

While the list of facilities listed below may appear to be nothing more than a sales pitch - and I unashamedly confess that in part it is - it is also an attempt to point out families can still have fun and do so at very little cost.

As a council we recognise this need and Stratford endeavours to provide community facilities and services as cheaply as possible to ensure that our community can access them and enjoy the facilities we provide. The children’s bike park, the pump track, the half basketball court and the BBQ area are great examples of high-use facilities available to all, and with no user charges.

Walking or biking in the parks, the tennis courts and river swimming are other cost-free suggestions that families can enjoy, and let’s not forget we have some fantastic mountain bush walks right on our doorstep.

The town library is a well-used facility and the popular school holiday programmes add to its appeal, while the Percy Thompson Art Gallery attracts significant visitor numbers every year. The council’s community services team organises the Summer Nights events, which include a free outdoor movie night in the park and a concert night featuring live music and performance. Other events like Americarna and the monthly market days add to the mix. The list goes on.

The Wai O Rua - Stratford Aquatic Centre is another great public facility and although an entry fee is applicable, the council is very wary of the need to keep it affordable for users. The Kings Theatre is another great community facility and, following its recent refurbishment, is as good as you will find in any small town and well worth a visit.

It’s taken a while for me to get to the point, but what I am saying is that Stratford has plenty of leisure and recreational activities to choose from for our young families, and they are accessible. As a council we encourage people to use them and to promote them to others.