Matt Cowley Tauranga City Councillor

Did you know that 90 per cent of physical exercise done by New Zealanders is on man-made facilities?

Whether it's riding on a cycleway, swimming in pools, or kicking a ball in a park, councils play a massive role in the physical health of our communities.

But after years of council sweating its indoor and outdoor facilities during the economic downturn in 2008, the city's population growth means many sports are now bursting at the seams.

For years we've heard how our swimming pools are jammed packed. The hockey turfs at Blake Park and the schools are used late into evenings, local basketball leagues are turning down primary school teams, and the athletics track is congested with winter code pre-training, bootcamps, and athletic clubs.

Tauranga's precious AIMS Games also adds pressure to make sure there's enough facilities to secure the event's future in the city.

Many users 'pay as they play”, some sports more than others, but we have to be careful that we don't make sport unaffordable for those who may need it the most. Making sport unaffordable for people to participate isolates vulnerable sectors of the community and increases the risk of anti-social behaviour.

The sheer number of residents involved in sport and recreation justifies a contribution from ratepayers, other funders, as well as an appropriate charge on the people who use the facilities.

But given that Tauranga's population growth has caught up on the ‘sweated' facilities, the community's challenge is to prioritise which facilities should receive investment and when.

Feel free to email me your thoughts (matt.cowley@tauranga.govt.nz), call/text me on 0276989548, and follow me atwww.facebook.com/a.younger.voice.