Giving communities a sporting chance
By Mayor John Carter.
Around 100 people descended on Lindvart Park in Kaikohe last Saturday to help celebrate and learn about the game of football. Around 65 tamariki were shown new skills by Kaikohe Football Club members, who taught the youngsters the rules of the game and key skills like shooting goals and goalkeeping.
Around 100 people descended on Lindvart Park in Kaikohe last Saturday to help celebrate and learn about the game of football. Around 65 tamariki were shown new skills by Kaikohe Football Club members, who taught the youngsters the rules of the game and key skills like shooting goals and goalkeeping. We couldn’t have asked for a better autumn day of sunshine, with free food available and lots of giveaways donated by local businesses. While the focus was on having fun and promoting football, there was also a more serious aim – to promote community pride and participation.
Kaikohe has been in the headlines recently after a series of violent gang-related incidents that have shaken the town. I don’t believe these incidents reflect the nature of Kaikohe or the people who proudly call it home. The Kaikohe that I know has a great community spirit and a very committed group of leaders working hard to support and provide opportunities for residents. These leaders responded quickly to recent criminal activity with the Kaikohe Business Association securing funding to upgrade CCTV equipment around the town centre and linking different areas of the system. It is also working with police on a long-term plan to resource CCTV monitoring. These are good responses to the immediate problem and provide residents with confidence that action is being taken to curb criminal activity. But much more is being done to make Kaikohe is a great place to live and to ensure it becomes a vibrant and prosperous community once again.
The Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park project initiated by the council and being managed by Far North Holdings Ltd is already having a positive impact on Kaikohe employment. Around 10ha of hydroponic berry tunnels have been constructed and education and training centres are due for completion later this year. Meanwhile, a partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, the Mayors Task Force for Jobs and Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park has resulted in 30 sustainable employment opportunities for locals. More planting, horticulture and supervision roles are now being advertised and several new enterprises are talking about moving into the park.
As Saturday’s football event demonstrated, sport is a great way to encourage a sense of community and to promote healthy lifestyles. Kaikohe has a strong sporting culture and the council is supporting that through a multi-million-dollar upgrade to our existing Lindvart Park sports facility. The $12.5 million project is being led by Kaikohe Sportsville and will turn existing quality sports fields, courts, and the pavilion into a premier sporting facility. The project is expected to create around 35 construction jobs and will make Lindvart Park a focal point the whole Kaikohe-Hokianga community.
Investing in infrastructure and facilities that provide sustainable employment and support our people is a key part of tackling social problems and crime. Projects like Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park and the Lindvart Park upgrade are a big part of those efforts in Kaikohe. Just as important, is supporting organisations like Kaikohe Football Club and its very successful weekend celebration of football.