We are losing far too many weekends of winter sport to cancellation and we are playing far too much football (and rugby) in the mud. Our parks are in a terrible state and being overwhelmed by growing player numbers, young and old. It is widely agreed that we desperately need investment in "all weather" sports surfaces, and urgently.
Last weekend's Dominion Post editorial declared that the upcoming Wellington City Council elections are a chance to vote for a "sporting birthright" and made a clear and compelling case for investment in artificials. "Serviceable sports fields are not an optional extra. They are a core council service." Here is the fully editorial - http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/opinion/editorials/4070653/Editorial-A-chance-to-vote-for-childrens-sporting-birthright
We agree. And we have written to all the Wellington City Council candidates to help you decide how to vote this election. We have asked them to outline their policy on investment in artificial surfaces. The responses we received are set out on a dedicated website - www.backofthenet.co.nz
Check out the website, check out the attitude of the candidates in your ward, save the website address, don't forget to return to it when marking your election papers, and let's elect Wellington a turf-friendly Council.
Finally, we encourage you to circulate this website. Pass it on.
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Also check out the fantastic banner above. Superb work.
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well done guys, this is great. Funny how all the mayoral candidates seem to be saying the same thing?!
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Any chance of adding detail on previous positions and/or voting on the issue Marius ?
Perhaps get an impression of who's position on the website has been justified by the actions they have taken previously?
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No. I thought about that. But you get into rather tricky territory.
The Dom Post editorial does mention how candidates voted previously, and the forum here is also a place for people to set out their views on candidates positions or to provide more info etc.
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can someone tell me who to vote for I don't know any of them and they seem to say the same stuff. who is the most likely to get somthing done.
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Moved Councillor Foster, seconded Councillor Pannett the following
amendment:
THAT Council:
Move $50,000 from 2011/12 into 2010/2011 to allow for planning and
design of the next turf and move $1.45m from 2012/2013 into 2011/2012
for construction of the next turf.
The amendment was put:
Voting for: Councillors Cook, Foster, Goulden, Pannett and Wade-
Brown.
Voting against: Mayor Prendergast, Councillors Ahipene-Mercer, Best,
Coughlan, Gill, McKinnon, Morrison, Pepperell, Ritchie
and Wain.
Majority Vote: 5:10
The amendment was declared LOST.
Founder
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Passed this onto one of the rugby guys at work to pass on.
I would be interested in knowing who has been written to and has so far not responded (this may give an indication on their stance as the candidates are more likely to respond if their attitude is positive and supportive).
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with the exception of perhaps two candidates whose email contact couldn't be found, everybody got approached and asked to contribute.
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Great work Marius, but far too many weasal words from the candidates.
Andy Foster seems to be the only one prepared to quantify his support in terms of number of pitches (6) and a timeline (3 yrs).
I think all the candidates should be asked a follow-up question that gives them no wriggle-room:
"If elected do you promise to support a motion that council funding be brought forward to allow another 6 full-sized artificial turfs to be laid in Wellington by the end of 2014?".
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Good work.
With a name like mine, I should have stood!
With a name like mine, I should have stood!
I know, I know, its serious!
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so what would stop Wellington Football from getting the funding to build their own turf?
If i'm not mistaken, Fraser Park, and Elsdon Park turfs have had contributions from Wellington Hockey? I'm sure my many years of paying turf fees must have at least helped.
I may well be wrong, so please don't flame me.
Just another thought on the issue.
If i'm not mistaken, Fraser Park, and Elsdon Park turfs have had contributions from Wellington Hockey? I'm sure my many years of paying turf fees must have at least helped.
I may well be wrong, so please don't flame me.
Just another thought on the issue.
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That's a good point allstarnz.
I think a lot of the focus is on the council because, apart from being a major source of funding, without their support you simply can't get anything done.
But you are right that Capital Football have a major role to play here as well. I think they should be coordinating a strategic approach to the charitable trusts on behalf of all Wellington football clubs to get funding towards artificials put in place over a period of years.
I think they also have a role to play in assessing, and getting commitment to, the levels of user charges that people would be prepared to pay to play on artificial turfs.
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Celia Wade-Brown )Wellington mayoral candidate) emailed this to me recently:
Hello rightstr,
I agree that the surfaces are a priority. I supported Cr Andy Foster's amendment (at the draft annual plan budget and before) to speed up the timetable but we did not persuade the majority.
As well as the planned artificials being brought forward (and officers may well bring a report to Council near the summer) we do need to improve the drainage and turf on more existing grass surfaces so they are more robust.
Team sport is so important to building young people's self-esteem and commitment to their team- and keeps friendship alive for the more mature teams to. The success in qualifying for, and playing well in, the Football World Cup plus next year's Rugby World Cup are increasing uptake and interest in these codes.
While I'm impressed by our staff's commitment, I think there is room for better coordination between college fields and Council fields in terms of investment, maintenance and management. Political support for that coordination may be what's missing currently. In the pools debate I was quite disturbed to hear some colleagues say "why would we invest in a school pool rather than one of ours?" As long as there is wider community access, I believe that sharing facilities - whether sports facilities or community halls that are nominally Council, church or school, is the way to make best use of limited resources.
I've been involved as a Futsal manager - our college football players took up thsi game since we were sick of practices being canceled.Therefore that's one of several reasons I do support the ICSC construction even if I regretted it couldn't;happen downtown.
I agree that the surfaces are a priority. I supported Cr Andy Foster's amendment (at the draft annual plan budget and before) to speed up the timetable but we did not persuade the majority.
As well as the planned artificials being brought forward (and officers may well bring a report to Council near the summer) we do need to improve the drainage and turf on more existing grass surfaces so they are more robust.
Team sport is so important to building young people's self-esteem and commitment to their team- and keeps friendship alive for the more mature teams to. The success in qualifying for, and playing well in, the Football World Cup plus next year's Rugby World Cup are increasing uptake and interest in these codes.
While I'm impressed by our staff's commitment, I think there is room for better coordination between college fields and Council fields in terms of investment, maintenance and management. Political support for that coordination may be what's missing currently. In the pools debate I was quite disturbed to hear some colleagues say "why would we invest in a school pool rather than one of ours?" As long as there is wider community access, I believe that sharing facilities - whether sports facilities or community halls that are nominally Council, church or school, is the way to make best use of limited resources.
I've been involved as a Futsal manager - our college football players took up thsi game since we were sick of practices being canceled.Therefore that's one of several reasons I do support the ICSC construction even if I regretted it couldn't;happen downtown.
Good stuff. Her point about improving existing grass surface is a very good one. A good sand based surface can cope with a hell of a lot of use too and that they come cheaper than artificials
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Agree rightsr, Artificials are part (a pretty big one) of the solution absolutely but we need to keep pressure on Councils to keep grass fields up to standard aswell.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
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I also agree that the grass fields are as much of a priority as artificials. The artificial pitches will be great for taking some of the stress from the grass fields. I like the idea of injecting money into both.
Cost of artificial vs natural sports fields is a debatable one though rightstr. Sure the initial cost of installing a sand based field might be cheaper (and not by a hell of a lot) but maintaining a sand based field is very expensive. Which is exactly the reason why the local so-called 'sand based fields' have gone to sh*t.
TopLeft072010-09-02 14:01:30Fuck this stupid game
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I'll bow to your greater knowledge on the subject TL.
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I thought Endeavour was sand based and that seems to be one of the best all year round?
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great site Sam
from the info on it I'm voting Mc Phee in Southern Ward
agree though Termy - there's no shortage of weasel words - in our ward Mcphee seems the most clear in his intent
from the info on it I'm voting Mc Phee in Southern Ward
agree though Termy - there's no shortage of weasel words - in our ward Mcphee seems the most clear in his intent
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It's all relative though, some fields will have a bigger initial cost and some will cost more to maintain than others - mainly due the differnces in soil profile deeper down, which I suspect is the case at Whitby.
As I said, debatable.
As I said, debatable.
Fuck this stupid game
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As an interesting side note, I have played Mickey Mouse football in London off and on for about 8 years, and in that time I cannot remember having a game cancelled. None of the games are played on artifical pitches, so what is different? Although colder, there is generally less rain in London which makes a big difference, but I also lived in Manchester where it rained 22 out of the first 24 days I was there, and that was in the middle of summer. It managed to rain even more in winter, yet there were always games on.
Are the pitches better? Are they English not pussies? Are there more grounds so there are less games on each?
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
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John Bishop standing in Lambton writes a blog for Wotzon. This one is about artificials being major election issue - http://wotzon.com/diary/JBishop/
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Nice pic in the Dom this morning Bucks...and good publicity for the website too.
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obviously im expecting it to be the feature on the All Sports Breakfast this Saturday Piney.
Goes without saying i suppose
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I am quoted in Wgtonian today saying I would prefer the old Karori Pk back. ha
Founder
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any chance this will include the Hutt politicians?
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thought about doing all Councils, but decided to keep it a manageable project.
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awesome idea marius, hopefully this along with capital football's voice we can get some movement on getting decent turf pitches and better grass surfaces to play on
Queenslander 3x a year.
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Always wondered what Feverish looked like.
Mind you EG, could've been you
(but it ain't necessarily so)
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
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Foster is in my ward - easiest local body election choice.
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
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No - I'm only connected with Junior football. Is it on the website?
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
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Dosent Fifa fit into this puzzle somewhere?
A dog with a bone :)
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from John Bishop
Council candidate John Bishop has called on the current council to reconsider its stand against more artificial playing pitches for sports people in Wellington.
�It is not too late for the current Council to change its current capital expenditure programme and to get some pitches built over summer so that they are ready for the next winter.
When considering the annual plan the council voted 10 to five against more artificial pitches, but �this stance has been widely criticised and is now a major election issue,� Mr Bishop who is standing in the Lambton Ward said.
�I have backed building more pitches and sooner than currently planned by the council and I am certainly not the only candidate to take this stand.
�For week after week this winter, kids have had their sport cancelled because the appalling weather has made the grounds unplayable. No parent or kid wants that to happen again.
�If this council acts quickly in the 28 days it has left, it could easily agree to spend the money and tenders could be let for construction of at least half a dozen pitches over summer.
�I want the council to show positive leadership on this issue,� Mr Bishop said.
�Do it now councillors, for the sake of the kids who play sport, for their long suffering parents and for the thousands of adults who are now taking up sport. Make it your legacy. Do it for Wellington.�
Founder
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For my sins Im now on Bishop's email distribution list. this from his newsletter this morning ...
Artificial sports pitches are now a central issue in the election. The Mayor is defending the council�s slow programme of development � five more over eight years. Not good enough. I say more and sooner. She may come up with some ploy to look like she�s in favour of more artificial pitches even though the ruling group on the current council voted solidly against them in the planning and budget discussions.
The issue is wider than just artificial pitches. We need better sports grounds for sports people and their families. That means sport has to have a higher priority in council spending. I am strongly backing that. I had a very successful morning at a masters' grade football tournament last Saturday. Lots of support for my stand.
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