Draft Waimakariri Play, Active Recreation and Sport Draft Strategy
Our district has a vision for an active and connected Waimakariri, where diverse spaces, places and experiences enhance quality of life for current and future generations––and we want your feedback on our collective strategy to get there!
Play, active recreation and sport contribute significantly to our health, wellbeing, social connection and quality of life and are important for thriving and resilient communities. Play, Active Recreation and Sport (PARS) encompass the full range of physical activity and movement across our district.
Plan summary
The Draft Play, Active Recreation and Sport Strategy (PARS) sets out a ten–– year strategic direction for our district’s
Play, Active Recreation and Sport sector, providing a framework to guide future decision––making, investment, partnerships and service delivery, and clarifies Council's role as a steward, provider, funder, partner, facilitator and regulator within the wider recreation and sport system.
Where did we look?
The Draft PARS Strategy has been informed by research, demographic analysis, participation data and a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process involving communities of interest, sporting organisations, recreation providers, community groups, schools and key sector partners. This engagement has helped identify current challenges, future opportunities and priorities for play, active recreation and sport across the district.
Where did this leave us?
It identifies opportunities to collectively improve participation outcomes, reduce barriers to access, strengthen partnerships, optimise existing assets, protect community assets and social infrastructure, and ensure investment is targeted to areas of greatest community need and benefit.
The draft strategy establishes a district–wide vision and guiding principles for decision–making
It identifies seven system levers that influence participation outcomes, six strategic priorities, and an investment framework to guide future planning and investment decisions.
The Guiding Principles act as the decision––making filter for the strategy. They provide a consistent lens through which priorities, investment decisions, partnerships and future opportunities will be assessed, ensuring resources are directed where they can deliver the greatest value for Waimakariri communities.
Project PARS 
and strategic priorities
Seven PARS system levers:
1. People
2. Programmes
3. Promotion
4. Partnerships
5. Policy
6. Physical Spaces
7. Participation
Each represent the practical areas through which we can influence outcomes and support an active, connected community.
Informed by the PARS Framework, evidence and community feedback, six strategic PARS priorities will guide investment, partnerships and decision––making to create an active and connected Waimakariri over the next decade.
The six strategic priorities are:
1. Remove barriers to participation.
2. Operate as one connected system.
3. Optimise existing assets first.
4. Deliver quality, flexible spaces.
5. Strengthen capability and experiences.
6. Invest for long––term value and demand.
The Investment Approach provides a framework to guide decision––makers in investment decisions to ensure resources are directed where they can deliver greatest community benefit.
The three investment priorities (IP) are not intended to be applied sequentially to every project. Instead, they represent a hierarchy of preferred investment responses.
When a need, issue or opportunity is identified, Council and its partners should first consider whether it can be addressed through IP 1 actions. If a suitable solution cannot be achieved, consideration should then move to IP 2, followed by IP 3, only where a clear unmet need remains.
Have your say
While the draft strategy has been informed by considerable engagement across the community, we still want to know whether you think it reflects the community’s aspirations and priorities, and if anything has been missed.
We also want to know whether you think the proposed strategic direction and decision-making framework will be appropriate to support future community needs.
Feedback received through the consultation process will be considered in the preparation of the final strategy, which will be presented to the Community and Recreation Committee before being recommended to Council for adoption.
Have your say using the survey below before 5pm, Sunday 11 October 2026.
