Submissions

To: Far North District Council
Date: May 2025

Purpose

This submission’s primary purpose is to provide feedback with an "accessibility lens," ensuring that community facilities, specifically Sportsville, are developed and operated in a manner that is fully inclusive and accessible for all users, including disabled people and tamariki hauā (disabled children). DPA also aims to highlight economic opportunities like accessible tourism and reinforce the importance of disabled voices in Council decision-making.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA reiterates that accessibility is a core principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and a key outcome of the Aotearoa New Zealand Disability Strategy. This principle implies ensuring access to housing, transport, public buildings, information, and leadership positions on an equal basis with non-disabled people. DPA emphasizes the importance of investing in and sustaining accessible, connected communities where everyone can live without barriers to participation, particularly in parks and pathways, and ensuring disabled voices are heard in all impacting decisions.

DPA notes that Kaikohe and Districts Sportsville Incorporated is a community-based organization and that its facilities are already wheelchair accessible. Based on this, DPA expresses no concerns with granting a 30-year ground lease to the organization, provided the Council has engaged with its Disability Advisory Panel on this specific topic.

In terms of community inclusion, DPA points out the potential for accessible tourism, especially with an aging population that often has disposable income. They mention a local disabled community member developing accessible tours and outdoor wheelchairs. DPA also draws a connection between the Sportsville venue's use by schools and the Te Puna Reo O Manga Tangaroa Kohanga Reo, which specializes in educating tamariki hauā (disabled children). DPA stresses the benefits of playgrounds for healthy communities and strongly advocates that if the Council and Sportsville collaborate to build a playground in the future, it must be accessible and inclusive for all children.

Key Recommendation/Finding: Recommendation:

That FNDC consult with their Disability Advisory Panel and disabled people’s organisations on accessible playgrounds.

Supporting Statement 1:

“Most facilities can be made welcoming and be used by everyone. Good physical design is an imperative for new facilities. Accessible spaces and places may allow you to ‘get there’ - but inclusivity means you want to stay and participate. Much of a person’s experience of place is created by those managing the facility.”

Supporting Statement 2:

“…inclusive playground design incorporates accessibility but goes a step further. As the name says, it creates inclusive play experiences for children of all abilities. Inclusive equipment like universally designed swings or see-saws can be used by all children, breaking down barriers and promoting social benefits.”