The following questions have been asked of candidates in the Mayoral race;
Q1. Could you support a vision to make Wellington the healthiest city in NZ and then the world?
Jo Coughlan: Yes
Andy Foster: Wellington is already a city of active people, and that means healthy people. Our hills, harbour side walkways, easy walkability, not having lots of large roads to cross for that lunchtime walk or run, or a swim at Oriental Bay all make it easy to be active. I completely support the vision of being more active and healthier. Integrating activity into our daily routines in the way we travel around the city is important especially for people who are time poor
Justin Lester: Absolutely! I play a lot of sport, run and bike and want to see Wellingtonian’ s out and about being active too.
Nick Leggett: Awaiting a response
Helene Richie: Yes. Healthy person is a healthy City. The Council and the Health Board need to work together on this…that is why I am standing for both to be mayor of Wellington and a member of the Health Board.
Nicola Young: I want a Wellington where we are free to make positive choices in the way we choose to live our lives. That means my focus must be on ensuring Council focuses on its core business and, to do that, we need to cut waste like the $5.5m of planned expenditure on Frank Kitts Park because I have pledged to freeze rates at inflation.
Q2. What importance do you place on sport and recreation in Wellington?
Jo Coughlan: Recreating is a key reason why people come and live here. World class cities need world class sporting and recreational facilities. That's why I supported artificial turfs and the ASB sports centre for Wellington.
Andy Foster: Personally I am a keen runner, especially mountain running. I love playing football - have done all my life. I also play occasional tennis, cycle (road and mountain bike), tramp, ski, kayak, swim, in fact I'll give most sport and recreation a go. I go to the pool once a week with my children (their swimming lessons) - sometimes I swim, other times read Council papers while on the static bike.
Justin Lester: A huge degree of importance for the reason outlined before. As a youngster growing up I know that kids in sport stay out of court too!
Nick Leggett: Awaiting a response
Helene Richie: Very high
Nicola Young: Sport and recreation are just the kinds of choices I want to make sure Wellington offers to its residents and to our visitors. But it's important to ensure that we provide a balanced picture of Wellington’s many free attractions
Q3.When considering investments and/or running costs of sport & rec facilities do you off set these with lower health costs and returns to local business communities, and the wellbeing benefits to citizens?
Jo Coughlan: There are benefits to having a healthy and active society. So yes in principle!
Andy Foster: Council subsidises sport and recreation because of the wider benefits to health and wellbeing of the community, as well as the obvious benefit to the person actually doing the recreation. They are essential parts of the fantastic lifestyle we enjoy in Wellington.
Justin Lester: I am very comfortable funding capital investment as well as subsidising the operations of recreation facilities. It’s essential that Wellington City Council steps up because no-one else is sufficiently placed to do it. I want Wellingtonians to be fit, healthy and active.
Nick Leggett:
Helene Richie: That should be done formally but is not. I do…and that is why Health and Council should work together- amongst other reasons
Nicola Young: My focus is on freezing rates to inflation and cutting waste from our budget for the benefit of our city. In addition, the council I lead will focus on its core business of running the city well.
Q4. What importance do you place on the affordability of participation for all?
Jo Coughlan: Significant. There does need to be some cost recovery, however free swimming for children under 5 is a good initiative
Andy Foster: It is important that access to recreation is affordable, which is also why Council has long had a passport to leisure scheme, and why we are always very thoughtful about access charges as a whole. In my view swimming pool entry costs are at the upper level of what people are willing to pay.
Justin Lester: A high degree because I’ve seen how important it is from a personal experience. My mum was a beneficiary and couldn’t afford for us to play much club sport or have swimming lessons. As a result I have two brothers that can’t swim very well. I am fortunate to be in a position to pay for club fees and swimming lessons for my own kids, but I recognise lots of families and individuals can’t. I want all kids and adults to be able to participate.
Nick Leggett: Awaiting response
Helene Richie: Very high-sport and recreation
Nicola Young: Community sports are important, and a priority for Council because they're generally more accessible, affordable and local, unlike professional sport which Council should not fund, although it does – including payments from the Council’s (secret) economic growth fund. Council does a good job at providing community facilities, and I remain to be convinced that more needs to be done
Q5. While the sport and recreation sector do expect to contribute financially to the running of facilities, in addition to the rates they pay, do you think that the WCC policy to recover as much as 40% from aquatic facilities is fair particularly when other facilities target a 10% contribution and others like libraries and museums are free?
Jo Coughlan: I support fair and reasonable cost recovery, however appreciate the costs for codes are an issue. We need to understand the pressures and what is acceptable to meet our goals of greater participation.
Andy Foster: The level of cost recovery varies between different activities. In part that reflects historical levels of cost recovery, an the level of possible cost recovery. For example sports fields are used extensively for casual recreation which is impossible to charge for. Marinas are 100% cost recovered, Pools and artificial turfs 40%, Sports fields and Libraries 10%. Pools are increasingly struggling to maintain that 40% Council has spent $30 million in swimming pool upgrades - Keith Spry, Spray/Hydrotherapy at WRAC being the biggest two. We've spent $2.5 million on school pools - especially targeting learn to swim which I see as an absolute priority. Wellington East reopens this summer. That capital spending has barely moved the number of people using Council pools (still around 1.2 million uses a year) but has obviously increased the ratepayer subsidy per swim significantly (it's basically doubled to around $10-11 per swim I led the development of Karori Pool (opened 2001) which wasn't on Councils agenda at all at the time. That has just over 200,000 swimmers per annum compared to 28,000 in the last year as an open air pool. It is after Freyberg easily the best pool in terms of ratepayer subsidy per swim
Justin Lester: One of my key policies as Mayor is to make swimming for all under 5s free. I have pledged to do this earlier this year because I know 7 out of 10 kids can’t swim and I think it’s extremely important for kids to be confident in the water. This was introduced earlier this year because my Councillor colleagues thought it was a good idea too! Next I want to remove fees for guardians accompanying under 5s and I want to see if I can make swimming lessons more affordable by partnering with learn-to-swim programmes and swimming clubs. Likewise, I’ve been a strong supporter of the school pools partnership programme, which helps ensure we have good quality school pools in Wellington for learn-to-swim programmes. The point about museums and libraries is quite valid, but it is also complex to compare them with swimming pools as they serve different purposes. WCC anticipates spending $20.9m to operate swimming pools in the 2016/17 financial year in a total recreation budget of $38.9m. In the past two years $4.2m has been spent on upgrades. I am happy to review the current funding policy, but I am conscious any change will have an impact on rates and need to weigh up the financial costs before committing to anything concrete.
Nick Leggett: Awaiting response
Helene Richie: No
Nicola Young: Swimming pools are very expensive to operate. Te Papa established the ‘free entry’ culture, which means other museums have to follow suit. The problem is, our investment in some of our facilities has escalated fast while participation has remained static – that's unsustainable.
Q6. Do you consider the double dipping that occurs when the facility is hired yet our members are still required to pay a facility entry fee?
Jo Coughlan: It does seem tough that competitors are being charged twice.
Andy Foster: No response to this question.
Justin Lester: This is unfair. I would have to understand the impact on rates before I commit to changing this, but I have shown through my ‘free swimming for under 5s’ initiative that I will make changes where the benefits outweigh the costs to Council.
Nick Leggett: Awaiting a response
Helene Richie: I do not understand this question. Are you asking whether you should pay for hiring the facility as individuals or as a group-individuals pay one entry fee for an amazing range of activities e.g. at Freyberg
Nicola Young: Is it double dipping, or a way to reduce the cost of pool hire? We must ensure accessibility and affordability but we must also be responsible with public money to ensure maximum public benefit.
Q7. Given that all Wellington swimming clubs are running at capacity. All have waiting lists and all struggle to get more lane space at suitable times for instruction, practice and competition that it is time again to re-consider the WRAC extension project?
Jo Coughlan: Absolutely. I totally support an additional 50 metre pool at WRAC, and have advocated for this for nine years. WRAC, and have advocated for this for nine years.
Andy Foster: There are several big reasons I am very cautious about investing in a big new pool - obviously it would be very expensive ($30 million was estimated 3 - 4 years ago). At that time the number of additional users was expected to be quite small and an eye-watering ratepayer subsidy per swim of $60. Looking after transport as I do I am also very conscious that we have through successive decisions put nearly all our major sporting facilities to the south and east of the Basin (WRAC, Indoor Sports Centre, Hockey, 5 of our 6 artificial turfs, Hataitai netball courts, Athletics, Badminton) while the bulk of our city - let alone regional population - is to the north and west of the Basin. Small wonder weekend traffic congestion is getting worse.
Justin Lester: Yes! It is currently being considered as part of Sport Wellington’s Wellington Regional Facilities Plan taking place as part of the Wellington Regional Sport and Active Recreation Strategy.
This piece of work is being undertaken to determine what the Wellington region’s needs are and combines the knowledge and resources of all of the region’s councils.
I support this analysis and it will provide me with useful information to plan for the future sporting facilities needs in Wellington. This will include an assessment of the WRAC extension project and whether it is required now or in the future.
It’s important new investment in facilities undertakes a regional assessment of needs.
Nick Leggett: Awaiting a response
Helene Richie: Certainly reconsider
Nicola Young: No. The Council’s CEO's pre-election report has a graph (attached) showing ‘total pool attendance over time and capital expenditure’. It shows the huge amount Council is spending on pools, and the flat attendance figures. This is unsustainable, ratepayers expect and deserve value for money on their investments
Q8. What is your view on facilities that no longer meet health & safety requirements?
Jo Coughlan: Well facilities should meet legal health and safety requirements as required by law
Andy Foster: No response to this question
Justin Lester: Facilities that don’t meet health & safety requirements will need to be brought up to standard to make sure they do.
Nick Leggett: Awaiting a response
Helene Richie: We cannot run such facilities.
Nicola Young: Council facilities should comply with current health and safety requirements.
Q9. When was the last time you swam or attended a swimming competition?
Jo Coughlan: I am not a regular attendee now but was for many years with four children swimming competitively.
Andy Foster: No response to this question
Justin Lester: I take my girls swimming most weeks. They’re also enrolled in really good learn to swim programmes and both love swimming and are doing well!
Nick Leggett: Awaiting a response
Helene Richie: Regularly, I am a swimmer, and was as a young person a competitive swimmer. I need/want to make time to do more!
Nicola Young: No, providing the graph attached is included
Additional Comments
Jo Coughlan:
Andy Foster: The final important consideration is Strategy. Council is working on a Community, Sport and Recreation Strategy. This is the one area that we do not have a current strategic framework to guide investment. Sport Wellington Region is developing a regional strategy. I think it is essential that we work out as a region where we want to focus sporting attention, and where in the region it should happen. Sport New Zealand is also thinking about that big picture. We are a small country and we cannot afford to do everything, everywhere. All Mayoral candidates have talked about keeping rates below our current projected levels. That effectively means cutting expenses, not including lots of new things - thought that isn't evident from many of their speeches. So let's get that strategic framework and then we should be much better placed to make decisions
Justin Lester:
Nick Leggett:
Helene Richie:
Nicola Young: Q7 follow-up: Cause of flat attendance? - As an enthusiastic swimmer, I agree it would be good to find out more about the underlying reasons why ; I think the huge increase in expenditure is due to Council funding school pools, but I don¹t know why the numbers are flat. I regard swimming as a core competency. I am focused on freezing the rates by cutting waste, but also protecting core services - and swimming pools are one that I specifically list.