The proposal is part of $1.5 million in savings the council has identified as part of its Long-Term Plan (LTP) for 2024-2034.
During public hearings on the LTP, SportWhanganui chief executive Tania King said as owners and managers of most community sport, recreation and play facilities, the council played a major role in her sector.
“It’s these places and spaces which enable access to a wide range of physical activities, from playing on playgrounds to biking across town to competing in sports,” she said.
“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that investing in this space is one of the most impactful actions a council can take towards improving community health and wellbeing.”
King told councillors as much as she would have liked “money poured into our sector”, she acknowledged the council’s financial constraints.
“I would like to request that when cuts to services and asset sales are being considered, the council prioritises the retention and maintenance of places where the community likes to be active,” she said.
In her written submission, she said maintenance could significantly impact the perception of parks as welcoming, safe and enjoyable spaces, and decreasing it created accessibility and safety issues.
Speaking to NZME, council property and open spaces general manager Sarah O’Hagan said minor services cuts, such general parks maintenance, were separate from the LTP and the council was in the process of finalising contract variations for them.
“It’s likely that in premier parks some annual garden beds, shrubs and hedges will be removed and park maintenance will be carried out a little less frequently,” O’Hagan said.
“In this economic climate, the council has had to make some tough calls to keep rates affordable.
“Back in December last year, we let the community know that due to the high rates we were facing, we had come up with a six-point plan to reduce costs, and this included service cuts.”
Tania King (right) took over from Danny Jonas (left) as Sport Whanganui's chief executive earlier this year.
According to the LTP consultation document, the other option - not selling assets - would add $23 to rates per property in year one (2024/25) and $43 per year after that.
In her submission, King said Sport Whanganui had “serious concerns about the lack of transparency around this question”.
“Asset sales have the potential to affect sport and recreation significantly,” she said.
“We do not want to see a loss of sports facilities, nor for neighbourhoods to lose access to recreational spaces.
“Our preferred action is for the council to clarify which assets will be sold, and for consultation to be undertaken once the community has enough information to assess the potential losses against the impact on rates.”
O’Hagan said if elected members voted to move forward on asset sales, the council would come back to the community to consult on which specific assets could be sold.
“Our sports grounds are important community assets that have huge benefits for community wellbeing and we would not be looking at selling them if asset sales were pursued,” she said.
King told councillors an aquatic strategy for the district needed to be completed before a decision was made on the Whanganui East Pool.
Community pools were not financial investments and the decision to operate them needed to be driven by “wellbeing considerations, not profit margins”, she said.
“An independent strategy can help identify what’s needed to meet the needs of the community, both now and in the future.
“This is the best way to ensure that any investment in this space is going to result in the highest returns at the lowest cost to ratepayers.”
King said Sport New Zealand could support the council with the aquatic strategy.
Public hearings on the LTP wrapped up last week and deliberations will take place from June 5-7.
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
