One of my pet projects is trying to get Onepu Community Park, near Kawerau, into public/community ownership as it has been sold to a private owner who will close public access from mid-October this year.

It’s a really key recreation asset that serves urban and rural community members from Whakatane, Kawerau, Opotiki, Edgecumbe, Awakeri and Matata, and many visitors from further afield as well.

A gate counter was installed on one entry point (there are three gates) and counted 20,000 visitors in one year.

My husband and I have a long history of participation in and providing opportunities for physical recreation: we are the converted from way back! We’ve been competitive mountain bikers, multisporters, ultra-marathoners and triathletes.

We were co-founders of the Bike Odyssey NZ, and event organisers for the Oxfam Trail Walker, Rotorua Walking Festival, Motu Challenge and Ōhope Express half marathon. We are also Cycle Action Whakatane foundation Trustees, and helped bring Bikes in Schools to Whakatāne, got funding for and helped create the Warren Park ‘pump’ tracks, and coordinated 15,000 Bike Wise events throughout NZ each year, on behalf of NZTA.

I would be very interested at looking at how my campaign can help support Sport BOP’s goals as I strongly believe that the regional council has a role in investing in ‘infrastructure’ that provides people with safe places to exercise, play and commute.

Green space is so important for the Bay of Plenty. Having these areas makes it easy for community groups to organise physical activity for people of all ages. Also having playgrounds and areas suitable for children to play in is so important. Making sure the sport facilities are up to a good standard and have everything needed for the different sports to cater to. Overall having adequate areas for all the needs of the people in our region is critical.

I'd like to see up to date sports facilities for our children to use, without fear of injury or constant vandalism. We cannot rely on schools to be the only spaces where sport is accessible for kids. Soccer parks for instance are not fit for purpose. Our children deserve better.

Improved environmental outcomes is my unwavering commitment to the Rotorua District as a Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor for the past 6 years. Clean water, Clean air are aspirations for all walks of life including all sporting activities.

BOP Regional Council is supportive of the Rotorua mountain biking community by granting $80k PA to its 1st response emergency unit.

I have promoted and voted for: significant improvements in fresh water quality through our science-led restoration programmes for all the 12 Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes; considerable improvements through resourcing of our air quality programmes; improved resourcing of biosecurity and landcare volunteer programmes; increased funding for pest control programmes, especially wallaby control; better monitoring and management of our geothermal bores; community leadership of flood protection schemes; fit for purpose bus networks; far reaching climate change initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint.

Vote for Kevin Winters to represent Rotorua, on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, to further protect our natural environment for our mokopuna. Re-elect Kevin Winters. B. Ag. Sc. A strong, knowledgeable and experienced voice for Rotorua.

Participation in physical activity through sport, active recreation and play is very important. The responsibility for swimmable rivers, a safe unpolluted harbour and ocean is something we must all take some responsibility for, but it is the Regional Council which is tasked specifically to ensure sustainable environmental standards. While we engage in physical activities it is vital that the air we are breathing is healthy.

A current regional councillor has said "that it is to our (the Councils) shame that the industrial area is a polluted air-shed and the distress that that is causing the residents of Mount Maunganui."

Now a recent NZ study called Health and air pollution in New Zealand 2016 shows that 3,300 NZers are dying prematurely from health issues related to air pollution, the majority of which are Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) from our petrol and diesel private motor vehicles and heavy freight vehicles. I will raise these issues so that we can more safely engage in healthy activities in our beautiful city and region.

I have always been a strong and active supporter of of sport, active recreation and play. I understand the considerable benefits of physical activity for all ages.

I have personally being involved in the development of many new sport facilities and operational funding to provide access for all. Some examples for my direct involvement include TECT Park, Bay Wave, Trust Power Arena, Hockey Turfs, Bay Oval, Papamoa Surf Club to name a few.

I will continue to advocate for today and future generations for sport, active recreation and play.

I am pro all sorts of sport and physical activity. I ride an electric bike and am enjoying all the new cycle trail options now available.

I was heavily involved in Jet Ski competition in its infancy in the Bay and NZ. As foundation vice president of BOP jetsport club, we ran the first 2 NZ events here and Karapiro.

I operated 2 indoor cricket stadiums in Auckland and founded the NZ indoor cricket federation.

After children I became involved in gliding and spent 5 years on that committee. 2 years as president and organised the building of their new clubrooms and hanger.

I have been involved in motorcycling. Younger doing dirt racing, later as runs coordinator for Ulysses Tauranga.

I have played rugby, soccer, cricket etc, so I know the space required for that activity.

Fishing has been a passion and I donated and created the parquet floor in the sports fishing club foyer.

I have played golf, but I am useless at that.

To better ensure clarity, the provision of active recreation (sports) infrastructure (swimming pools, playing fields, stadiums is primarily a function of, for example, Tauranga City Council, not the Bay of plenty Regional Council. The contribution of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council ratepayers has included excellent regional parks which I support enhancing, increasing to meet our region's growth needs. I believe our region's jewels are the opportunities for natural outdoor experiences and should be enhanced, on land, water, open spaces, the bush.

I am mindful that the assets of the BOPRC ratepayer are very much in the sights of those who seek to fulfil personal wealth creation and ego fulfillment for the provision of Tauranga CBD focused museum and environment destroying foreshore cycleway, Domain stadium and the like, and the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce have submitted to the BOPRC along those lines. I reject the 'ratepayer double dipping' of these groupings and individuals. I believe should the BOPRC allow itself to be hijacked for the provision of infrastructure the 'lines of responsibility' will get blurred, best environmental outcomes at risk.

I would like to better understand the opportunity and potential for 'regional sporting facilities' of excellence, versus the 'keeping up with the Jones's present mentality'.

I’m passionate about supporting our communities to be more active more often and enabling people to connect with nature by spending more time in our natural environment.

I’m driving for:

• More regeneration of reserves and provision of walkways, cycleways, trails and tracks.
• Enhanced marine reserves and safety on the ocean enabling people to explore marine sports and wildlife.
• A people centric public transport system so that people can use on demand and rapid transit services, transition from a car-centered lifestyle and enhance wellbeing.
• Fit-for-purpose, accessible community sports facilities and services. Developing sustainable new spaces and opportunities for recreation and cultural expression. Increasing our multi-use regenerative spaces.
• Implementing the Age-Friendly City Strategy. Driving to ensure clean air and water will encourage people to spend more time outside.

I’m a previous regional manager for the Heart Foundation and my work aligned closely with Sport BOP and Sport NZ. I’m a keen distance runner, dog walker and horse rider and love the outdoors. I’m a previous board member of Dressage NZ.

The Regional Council has key responsibility around the environment such as Regional Parks and coastal areas including our harbours.

As the former deputy chair of the DHB I know that a healthy environment must include healthy people who, after all, are part of the environment.

I want people to enjoy fishing, walking, running, swimming and all the other opportunities for active lives offered in the Bay of Plenty.

Specifically

• A focus on clean air at the Mount: The current poor air quality affects enjoyment of active sports in the area.
• Increased accessibility to the harbour and offshore areas for recreational use and
• Increased active monitoring of our clean water standards including swimmable areas.

These are areas where the Regional Council can have the biggest impact in supporting physical activity in the Bay. As there are no elected members for the City Council, it also falls to the Tauranga Regional Councillors to advocate to the City Commissioners on local issues. For example, their proposal to reduce access hours to boat ramps.

I am a strong believer in encouraging active sport. A strong ethos of sport activity as a young person will set them up for a well balanced life of activity.

VOTE - ANDREW VON DADELSZEN

"ACTION not words"

A Tauranga resident for 34 years, Justice of the Peace, and 4th term Regional Councillor, I need your vote.

• One person, One vote
• Proven Track Record
• Action – Not Words
• Strong Governance, MBA qualified
• Committed to making Public Transport work
• SCIENCE-BASED decision making - not fluffy rhetoric
• Stop the PC nonsense, and get on with environmental sustainability
• Rotary’s K Valley Restoration Trust Chair

I am also a Chair certified Resource Hearings Commissioner, and a past Director of Crown Research Institute, Plant & Food.

Qualified with an MBA, my strengths include strong governance. VOTE VOND.

We need more opportunities for youth to be fit and active, because fitness builds physical and mental resilience. While not a focus of the Regional Council, Council can support youth to become engaged in outdoor activity through providing funding to organisations like CoastCare and Land and Estuary Care groups which give opportunities for youth to volunteer and do work to help improve the environment. I will advocate for this to improve fitness in youth, help the environment and strengthen the community.

Personally, my husband and I established the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust in 2018 to support the recreational, social and physical development of Bay of Plenty youth - particularly those that are disadvantaged. BOPYDT has flourished and now offers five fitness-based programmes for youth, with another in the pipeline. We do this from a purpose-built facility on 13th Avenue called Youth Central which operates as a youth hub, fostering collaboration with a range of youth service-providers while providing values-based fitness programmes which build mental and physical resilience in youth.

What you learn from playing sport about yourself, how to interact with others, and how to be healthy is important both individually and to us all as a community. We should all have the opportunity to be involved.

The focus shouldn't be all about the elite levels - getting and keeping people involved in sport at all levels and ages is key. Councils can support this through maintaining existing sports facilities and ensuring new facilities are developed to keep pace with demand, so all communities have the opportunity to engage in sport or recreational activity close to home.

Councils should support this through ensuring all new developments make provision for sports facilities, be they simply open space parks through to more specialised facilities. I’m a fan of getting the education sector and councils collaborating in providing multi-use fields so our children and the wider community get access, the cost is spread and use is maximised.

The benefits of sport and recreation to both our individual health and community well-being is beyond dispute. A key roll for local government is to work cooperatively with sport and recreational regional groups to develop, maintain and enhance community facilities and environments that optimise opportunities for participation.

My wife and I and extended families have been actively involved in sporting activities over many decades, I currently serve as Chairman of the Omokoroa Golf Club and am a former President of the Nelson Basketball Association. I have played representative rugby and basketball and dabbled in a wide range of other sports.

The Bay of Plenty has the potential to be a mecca for sport and recreational activities and as a Regional Councillor I will be a strong advocate for our many community groups.