Report enhances regional park proposal

A report prepared for Napier City Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Hastings
District Council backs the establishment of a regional sports park in Hawke’s Bay and
makes valuable suggestions for ways the park proposal can be enhanced.
The report, authored by Murray McCaw of the Cormilligan Group, recommends doing
away with space originally conceived to house squash, volleyball and badminton and
instead including facilities for the five sports which fall within the ‘gymsports’ umbrella.
Murray McCaw said during the process of peer reviewing the Regional Sports Park
proposal it became clear the use of the large central building could become the key to the
success of the project and “the glue” which pulls the rest of the project together.
“Certainly it can be the facility that allows the health, education and other social capital
programmes to proceed. If these recommendations are followed, this facility within the
Regional Sports Park will be of national, regional and local significance,” said Mr McCaw.
The Cormilligan report makes a number of recommendations and Hastings District Council
has already actioned many of these as part of the ongoing process of refining the design
and feasibility of the project.
Lawrence Yule, Mayor of Hastings District, said the report acknowledged the Sports Park
proposal was still evolving.
“The proposal as it was presented to Murray McCaw for review had evolved from that
originally presented to Napier and Hawke’s Bay Regional councils and it continues to do
so. We are soon going to the public to consult with them and through that process the
project will inevitably change and evolve again,” said Mr Yule.
Public consultation on the Regional Sports Park begins in mid-April.

Support
The proposal is being progressed under a number of principles including providing a 20
year solution for each included code and a recreational destination for families.
The need for a regional sports park was identified through a report by Sport Hawke’s Bay
prepared in 2004 which stated, “Quality facilities are a fundamental prerequisite for
successful sports and recreation performance”. It also noted, “In a region such as
Hawke’s Bay resourcing will always be an issue, unless the region works together in a
coordinated way”. Support for the proposal has been given by Wairoa, Central Hawke’s
Bay and Napier councils as well as Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
Murray McCaw details health statistics for Hawke’s Bay which highlight the need for a
comprehensive social wellbeing offering. Hawke’s Bay has the highest level of active
smokers and the highest rates of suicide in the country.

Gymsports
Gymsports includes rhythmic gymnastics, men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics,
aerobics, and trampolining. In terms of body preparation, skill development, sports camps
and team building activities, participants in other sports would also benefit from the facility
which McCaw believes could become the National Centre for Movement Excellence. Use
of the centre would range across all age groups and areas of ability from pre-school,
school aged and competitive youth, to seniors, as well as recreational and professional
sports people. The centre could also cater for yoga, pilates, dance and martial arts. It
would also include a commercial gym operation, and sports medicine, nutrition,
physiotherapy and education facilities.
Ends