Sports commission to replace Ministry

Press, 13 June 1986, Page 4

Sports commission to replace Ministry

PA Wellington A commission to develop and encourage sport and recreation in New Zealand will be set up under legislation brought before Parliament last evening. Under the legislation, to come into effect in January, the Ministry and Council for Recreation and Sport will be replaced with a new body, a Recreation and Sport Commission. The 11-member commission will aim: • To promote the fullest use of leisure. • To facilitate equal opportunities for participation by all New Zealanders. • To encourage people to make the most effective use of their abilities and aptitudes. • To promote com-munity-based and group recreation, and appropriate indigenous and ethnic forms of sport and recreation. Moving the introduction of the Recreation and Sport Bill, the Minister of Recreation and Sport, Mr Moore, said an associate function of the commission was to be a distributing agency of the Lottery Board.

"This would be a similar role to that of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council and the Film

Commission,” he said. The commission would also act as advisor to the minister. Eight of its members would be appointed on the basis of their special skills, knowledge or background. ' The balance of the membership will be made up of one person each from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, the Education Department, and the Internal Affairs Department. Mr Moore said the bill was a landmark social document. “It paves the way to set up a strong new organisation which will usher in a new era for sport and recreation in this country.” He said it was a matter of national shame that education authorities were warning of a nation of “physically illiterate children”. Extensive consultations had preceded the bill, he said.

In December 1984, a sports development inquiry committee chaired by Sir Ronald Scott was appointed to report on ways to develop sport in New Zealand.

In March 1985, the Community Service Institute was commissioned to review the recreation part of the Government’s re-

creation and sports programme. Mr Moore said the bill was drafted after public submissions on the reports. In parallel with the bill, an advisory committee comprising Miss Ann Ballin, Sir Ronald Scott and Mrs Teremoana Hodges, had been set up to consider the wider issues concerning the new structure.

The Opposition spokesman on sport, Mr John Banks (Nat., Whangarei), said his party supported the introduction of the bill.

However, the key to the success of the proposal would be getting the expertise and funding. “If the expertise is in place and the funding is in place, I think this has the hallmarks of a grand proposal and this will be a great day for all New Zealanders participating in sport and recreation,” he said.

“To work this proposal will need direction and should be performanceorientated with administrative accountability.” However, Mr Philip Burdon (Nat., Fendalton) described the bill as a crude publicity stunt. “The reality is that here we have a bill which doesn’t give one cent to the sporting facilities in

the country.” He said the bill had to be seen in the context of a Government that had brought in goods and services tax legislation “that is going to tear the hearts out of most of the recreational facilities in this country.” After its introduction, the bill was referred to the Government Administration Select Committee.