The challenges and opportunities of sports facility development by the private sector in New Zealand

Abstract

A passion for participating in sport and recreation is ingrained in the culture and identity of the New Zealand population. While local authorities play an important role in ensuring the provision of sports facilities in a manner that adequately serves a city or district, in recent times the private sector has become increasingly involved in the development of sports facilities. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the challenges and opportunities for the private sector in developing community sports facilities in New Zealand. By employing qualitative methods, including the use of a case study and semi-structured interviews with a range of key players involved in the issue, the research identified the presence of a market-led approach to sports facility development and provided counter evidence to the existing body of knowledge that suggests sports facilities developed by the private sector erode community connectedness (Arai & Pedlar, 2003; Brueggemann, 2002; Tomlinson, 1991). Moreover, it was argued that the provision of sports facilities by the private sector can in fact benefit communities, particularly when a developer has philanthropic motives. Despite recognisable benefits of the use of market mechanisms, the findings strongly supported the role of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), and the resource consent process in particular, in regulating sports facility development, mitigating the negative impacts and facilitating public input. The study provided a further analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of public-private partnerships as a way to improve the methods and structures used for market-led sports facility provision under the RMA. Consequently, in order to achieve more efficient, effective and equitable provision, the research recommended nurturing greater collaboration between the public and private sectors during the resource consent process and providing simpler and more accessible planning documents for developers and philanthropists.