whakaaro: Multi-purpose facility survey
Golden Bay Work Centre Trust commissioned a study, carried out by Vandeskog Social Research in March/April 2009, to find out if there is a real need for a new multi-purpose recreational and cultural facility in Golden Bay. Recent letters to The GB Weekly indicate that the results of the study may not have reached all interested parties, so we would like to give a condensed summary:
We had no previous knowledge about this issue and designed a study to find out what the community was thinking. Here is what we did:
1. A focus group with representatives from seven stakeholder organisations (TDC, Community Board, Community Workers, GB Recreation, the Golden Bay Arts Council, Onetahua Marae and the Work Centre).
2. Conducted 20 interviews (including members of the sport community)with individuals suggested by the focus group or who contacted us directly.
3. Purpose-made questionnaires to the committees of 25 halls/venues and to 48 user organisations or individual hirers (including five sport organisations).
4. Questionnaires to every fifth household (excluding holiday homes), randomly selected throughout Golden Bay.
5. “Snap poll” at a sunny and “packed” Saturday Village Market.
In total more than 500 people were given a chance to have their say, and slightly more than 250 contributed their views.
The study found:
44 venues (at least) are available to the general public in Golden Bay.
Still, a number of unmet “facility needs” was reported (eg “something for youth”, a purpose built performance venue, better multi-purpose rooms, a showcase for local art, a purpose built museum, a covered pool, etc). A need for a new sport facility was not emphasised.
The support for a new or improved facility was approximately equal to the opposition:
52% of venue hirers and 40% of the general public were in favour of or “open to” a new facility
44% of venue hirers and 50% of the general public were opposed to, or did not see a need for a new facility
There was clear opposition to a new facility in the form of one new building:
50% of the general public said NO and only 23% said YES to a new facility in the form of one new building.
16% of the general public said MAYBE to a new facility, but were in doubt about building one new rather than upgrading existing ones.
A project that includes upgrading existing venues is more likely to gain wide support than a project aiming to build one new building. 14% of the people who said NO to a new facility were against it because existing halls are underutilised or should be upgraded. 36% of the general public were against ANY new facility.
Takaka was by far the most popular location for a new facility among the general public. None of the hirers who were in favour of a new facility preferred Park Avenue.
As can be seen, the population in Golden Bay is divided on the issue of a community facility. The study listed four options for future actions and more work is needed to test if any of these are practically possible to achieve. The Work Centre has proposed a follow-up of the first study and has sought funding from TDC.
Dr Bjarne Vandeskog
Vandeskog Social Research
