Nelson ratepayers have been spending four times more on sports and recreation infrastructure than on arts and culture facilities when sports patronage is expected to decrease and demand for arts and culture is forecast to increase, a city council reports shows.
The report provided to councillors as background information to the draft long term plan, showed the value of assets and spending were weighted heavily in favour of sport and recreation.
However, the city council's Long Term Plan, due to be signed off next week, goes some of the way to address this imbalance with its emphasis on supporting arts infrastructure, community services co-portfolio holder councillor Pete Rainey said.
The council set aside in its draft plan $10 million to upgrade the multi-use Trafalgar Centre, $6.6m for the Suter gallery redevelopment, $2.07m over the first three years, plus ongoing costs of about $350,000 each year for earthquake strengthening work on the Nelson School of Music, and taking ownership of the Theatre Royal building plus outstanding debt of $2m, with ongoing costs of about $370,000 a year.
The council also set aside $2m for the cycle velodrome at Saxton Field plus ongoing contributions to the multi-sporting complex of up to $1.8m.
Saxton Field is considered a regional facility and receives a portion of funding from the Tasman District Council.
Council analysis of the arts activity management plan and city council support for recreation showed Nelson city's sports facilities, including stadiums, parks, swimming pools and golf courses, are worth $86.5m.
That represents an 81.2 per cent share of the total spend on community infrastructure. By comparison the value of Nelson's infrastructure serving the arts and creativity sectors, such as the Suter Art Gallery, Theatre Royal and Nelson School of Music, is listed at $20m, which is an 18.8 per cent share of the spend on community infrastructure.
The arts facilities were built by early philanthropists and have gradually come under council control. Sports facilities have largely been built in recent times, with help from rates and the codes using them. Social infrastructure is also funded through participation fees, gate fees, door sales and donations.
The council said annual rates contributions was a fairer way to provide a spending comparison. Of the total $7.5m spent each year on arts, sports and recreation facilities, 83 per cent is spent on sports and recreation facilities.
There was no direct comparison between use of facilities and participation in arts or sports. However, 22,634 people used parks and courts for outdoor sport; 4502 used stadiums for indoor sport and 720 took part in water sports.
Total visitor numbers to the Suter gallery reached 80,000 a year, the Theatre Royal had 43,000 visitors a year, and the Nelson School of Music attracted 60,000 visitors a year.
Mr Rainey said the figures backed his argument that there was an unfair imbalance in council spend, which had been "accepted for decades".
Councillor Paul Matheson, who supports the sports sector, said the balance had shifted towards the arts, but the report overlooked the "huge amount" that sporting bodies did to help create sports infrastructure. It also failed to show the economic benefit to the city from the arts versus the sporting sectors.
"I don't argue about putting more money into arts and culture, but the bigger drive from participants to provide facilities for users comes from the sporting codes," Mr Matheson said.
Mr Rainey said money directed in the plan towards sports facilities also included "passive sport infrastructure" such as spectator pavilions which could mitigate spending on sports facilities when figures point to a predicted downturn in participation because of an ageing population.
The council report, using estimates sourced from a 2010 regional profile for Nelson city compiled by Business and Economic Research Limited (Berl), said the city's demographic makeup was trending towards an ageing population. The council said this suggested a potential decrease in demand over time for certain forms of sports and recreation facility and an increase in demand for arts and culture facilities.
Couples without children now outpaced couples with children, who were "significant users" of sport and recreation facilities.
ART VS SPORT
The Nelson City Council spends: $6.2 million of ratepayer money annually on sport and recreation.
$1.2m of ratepayer money on arts and culture.
The spending is equivalent to: $23 per resident on art and culture. $165 per resident on sport and recreation.
The value of assets per resident equates to: $438 for arts and culture. $1533 for sport and recreation.
- ? Fairfax NZ News
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7252819/Sports-recreation-spending-trumps-arts
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