More than 100 sport and recreation leaders gathered in Auckland to launch new research that will help shape the future of sport in the nation’s biggest city.
The Minister for Sport and Recreation, Dr Jonathan Coleman, and Auckland Mayor Len Brown launched three reports: Sport and active recreation in the lives of Auckland adults; the Economic value of sport and recreation to the Auckland region; and Auckland Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan – Annual Report 2015.
The research includes adult participation figures from Sport NZ’s latest Active NZ Survey. These show that 78 per cent of Auckland adults take part in sport and recreation in any given week, compared with the national figure which is 74 per cent.
The research also shows that sport and recreation make a significant contribution to the Auckland economy - $1.7 billion per annum, or 2.2 per cent, of regional GDP.
Sport NZ Chief Executive Peter Miskimmin says the research shows that sport and recreation are important to Auckland and Aucklanders.
“Sport provides many benefits to both individuals and communities. Certainly health and fitness are part of that, but it also provides opportunities for community engagement and development, and helps build resilient young people.
“This research tells us that Aucklanders lead active, sporty lives. But we know there are challenges on the horizon, including a global trend towards inactivity. This makes it even more important that we work together to understand, and then meet, the needs of participants, so that sport continues to enrich the lives of future generations of Aucklanders.”
Miskimmin says Sport NZ’s new Community Sport Strategy has a strong focus on Auckland, including a $1.2 million investment in a partnership with Aktive to target low participation communities, particularly young girls and Pasifika and Asian communities.
While encouraged by the participation statistics, Aktive-Auckland Sport & Recreation CEO Dr Sarah Sandley says we also need to recognise that New Zealand ranks third in OECD countries for obesity which pushes strongly against the activity data.
“There is a pressing need for the sector to collaborate even more strongly with local and central government agencies, so that opportunities are made widely available for Aucklanders to be more physically active.
"This has real implications for facility planning, sports organisations, and how agencies like Aktive and local Regional Sports Trusts operate.”
