Recreation helps to curb violence?

Press, 10 March 1988, Page 30

Recreation helps to curb violence?

PA Wellington Violence and anti-social behaviour would increase until the provision of recreational activities and facilities was taken seriously,) said the chairman of the 1 Hillary Commission Task Force on Recreation, Mr Bhrry Curtis. “The combination of unemployment and limited opportunities for constructive leisure is explosive and we are seeing the fall-out in our streets, and courtrooms," he said. He said local authorities and the community needed to co-operate much more closely to deal with the problem. Manukau district now had more than 8000 people unemployed and the problem was of similar! size in Whangarei, which city he would visit next week. While jobs were the only real solution to unemployment, that was a long-term solution "and

we have a problem right now.” "The urgent development of effective and carefully targeted leisure activities and facilities is a most productive course of action," Mr Curtis said. The task force was looking at ways 1 that sports and hobby organisations could advise the commission on recreational priorities. It was keen to gather all the information it could on the needs of recreation and leisure related community organisations at its next meeting in Whangarei on March 17. The Task Force recognised the much broader responsibilities of recreation in the community, and had held meetings throughout New Zealand to find out the exact needs of the recreational sector nationally, Mr Curtis said.