Netball courts

Press, 16 July 1982, Page 12

Netball courts

Sir,—Taking the figures of the netball administrators, the allotted land left will allow an additional nine courts “which will last another 10 years.” (I suggest five years at the most.) Perhaps the administrators of the City Council can furnish the long-suffering public with the answers to these questions: (1) How many courts have been sealed and in what years (with individual figures) from 1970 to 1982 inclusive? (2) Could we have the rate of growth 19701982 of teams, or individual players participating, and in what years? (3) Would the above figures show that with the present popularity, and steady expansion of netball, they have outlived the present site and the laying of additional courts is only delaying the inevitable shift? (4) Is not’ council land at Waimairi Beach an ideal site of enormous potential which with planning and foresight, provide a concept of inestimable sporting attractions in conjunction with sporting facilities already established nearby?—Yours, etc., Q. W. SUCKLING. July 1, 1982.

[Lyn Miles, secretary of the Canterbury Netball Association replies: “(1) Number of courts sealed 19701982:—1970, 4; 1975, 2. (2) Rate of growth by number of teams: 1970, 337; 1971, 356; 1972, 353; 1973, 382; 1974, 410; 1975, 436;

1976, 478; 1977, 482; 1978, 493; 197 b, 488; 1980, 508; 1981, 544; 1982, 562. This should be taken with the decline in primary school roles and the following decline in census figures for the x age groups concerned. Urban population census figures, females only:— 1971 (0-4 years), 12,263; (5-14), 26,168; (15-17), 7935; (18-19), 5805. 1976: 11,672; 26,076; 8805; 6325; 1981: 9210; 23,940; 7730; 6130. (10 per cent provisional sample). (3) The inevitable shift would not be for at least 20 years, and by then we would hope to have indoor courts and facilities. The use of these would be far more economical than outdoor courts. (4) We are not saying we will not shift, but who would pay for the replacement of the very central courts, pavilion and toilets, the cost of which has been borne by the Canterbury Netball Association?”]