The comments submitted by the citizens regarding the proposal for an all-weather sports turf, where they selected 'None of the Above', reflect a variety of concerns and alternative preferences that diverge from the two options provided by the council. Here is a summary of the key arguments made in these comments:

Environmental Concerns: Several residents expressed concerns about the environmental impact of constructing an all-weather turf, including issues related to increased micro-plastic runoff and higher carbon emissions. These concerns highlight a preference for more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.
Financial Prioritization and Allocation: Many comments suggested that the funds allocated for the all-weather turf could be better spent on other community needs. Suggestions included improving infrastructure for non-traditional sports like mountain biking, which could potentially offer higher returns on investment and broader community benefits. Others proposed enhancing arts and music programs, which are also significant economic contributors to the region.
Equitable Access and Use: Some residents pointed out that the all-weather turf would benefit only a limited number of users, primarily those involved in football and rugby. There was a call for investments that benefit a wider range of sports and recreational activities, ensuring equitable access for all community members.
Maintenance and Upgrades of Existing Facilities: A portion of the feedback favored maintaining and incrementally upgrading existing sports facilities rather than investing in a new, costly project. This approach was seen as more financially prudent and less disruptive to the current use of funds and resources.
User-Pay Principle: There was a suggestion that those who directly benefit from the turf (i.e., the sports codes and their members) should bear a greater portion of the cost through fundraising or increased user fees, rather than having the broader community subsidize the project.
Lack of Detailed Information: Some comments reflected a lack of sufficient information to make an informed decision, particularly concerning the location of the turf and specific details about its construction and long-term impact.

Debate Argument in Support of 'None of the Above':

Given the breadth of concerns and alternative preferences expressed by the community, it is clear that neither of the proposed options adequately addresses the diverse needs and values of Nelson's residents. The 'None of the Above' choice represents a call for a more holistic and inclusive planning process that considers:

Environmental Sustainability: Any new projects should prioritize environmental conservation, addressing concerns about pollution and waste.
Broader Community Benefits: Investments should be evaluated based on their ability to serve a wide cross-section of the community, supporting a variety of sports and recreational activities, as well as other community priorities like arts and culture.
Financial Responsibility: The council must ensure that spending aligns with the most pressing needs of the community, optimizing the use of public funds and considering the long-term financial implications of new projects.
Transparency and Information Accessibility: The decision-making process should be transparent, with detailed information readily available to all stakeholders to ensure informed community involvement and support.

In conclusion, supporting 'None of the Above' is a stance for a more thoughtful, inclusive, and strategic approach to community planning and resource allocation, ensuring that all investments deliver maximum benefits to the entire Nelson community.

Comments

ID	Comment
87.6	I don't know where the proposed all weather turf is being built. Will this bring more money into the region?
155.6	Spend NO money on parks, etc. Leave grass.
200.4	cut funding to upgrade sport fields, maintenance only
297.6	No opinion
298.6	sports have adequate support from both central and local government,and sponsorships.More funding could go to arts and music,both of which are big earners for Nelson and district.For example the Chamber music festival brings in much outside and international money,the ectensive teaching programmes can be as invaluable to youth as sport.
441.6	This is an obvious area for cost cutting - suspend upgrades on all sports facilities for the next 3 years.
450.6	have the users fundraise to pay for upgrades, so user pays. Not those who have not intention to use them
504.6	again I dont know enough to comment
556.6	unfamiliar with details. So don't know
604.6	We recommend allocating a segment of the parks and recreation budget to support various community clubs and organizations, particularly those not currently receiving assistance from the Nelson City Council.
610.6	I dont see any issue with these areas
629.6	Issue is Drainage , get it done and layered correctly.No more flooded fields
706.3	My preference would be to see an all weather turf, AND continue the current upgrade program for the remaining pitches. If this isn't possible due to financial constraints then I don't think an all weather turf should be constructed. One turf for both rugby and football is going to provide for only a tiny fraction of the players in these codes. It is imperative that the upgrade programme for all other pitches is continued to ensure decent playing fields for other players, otherwise only the "priority" teams who are allocated play time on the all weather turf are being properly catered for.For children and youth to continue to play, it is imperative that ALL the grounds are adequately maintained and upgraded.
733.4	I would argue that the "bang for buck' of investing more money into improving or constructing new sports fields versus investing similar amounts into significant improvements in the quality of the mountain biking, cycling and walking trail infrastructures around the region. Recent economic studies including those for the Cycle Trails Trust and the BERL report have showed that the economic impact of cycling and mountain biking visitors to the region is significant offering an incredible ROI on money spent to improve the infrastructure. This is without even considering the substantial lifestyle benefits of those resources and the well-known impact his has on the decisions of high quality new resitdents to move to Nelson to live.
735.6	Continue to spend on biking infrastructure. Particularly to promote Nelson as a Mountain biking hub for NZ. There are obvious health, wellbeing and economic benefits to this.
736.6	The money should be spent on Nelson Mountain bike tracks instead of the all weather terf because there are so many more mountain bikers in nelson than soccer and rugby players combined
778.6	Saxtons has had plenty of funding. We already have a considerable amount of sports fields albeit uncovered. We already get national and international sports teams come through. The Trafalgar centre is used for basketball. I think we can stop there for a while until Nelson is in a position where they can afford it. No more sports spendings, thanks.
883.6	I have no opinion on this.
887.4	It is not clear what drainage solutions have already been tried, where the location of the turf would be and who would benefit from the turf.
895.6	Subject: Funding Request for Feasibility Study on adding roof to outdoor Netball courts at Saxton Field for Nelson Netball Centre.NNC – Key Issue #6 – all-weather sports turf. IntroductionNelson Netball Centre Inc. (NNC) respectfully submits this proposal to [Council Name] as part of the Long Term Plan (LTP) discussion, seeking an allocation of $55,000 in the next annual budget for conducting a feasibility study. This study aims to explore the potential of adding a roof to the outdoor netball courts at Saxton Field. In light of the LTP's allocation of $211,357 for the 26/27 outyear for court resurfacing, we propose a reallocation of some funds to the 24/25 fiscal year to facilitate this crucial study.
916.6	Construct an all-weather turf and continue an upgrade programme of improvements on existing sports fields.
1081.6	Please delay the construction of an artificial turf until there is a solution to the issue of increased micro-plastic run off.
1093.6	All weather sports turf is not environmentally friendly!
1116.6	Option 3, construct and all weather turf and maintain current facilities at the standard they are at now.
1158.4	its not just turf users who require facilities. Swimming is a declining soret due to cost of pool hire & availability.
1181.6	which every works out less costly over time
1206.6	Choose not to answer.
1219.6	I do support an all-weather turf but the location of this needs to be presented before making a decision.
1255.6	A full and transparent review of all sports fields and facilities with the aim of reducing overall expenditure.
1273.6	Don't spend extra money on this and maintain it at current levels.
1302.6	small investments in multiple facilities would be more beneificial than singular large investments that would only benefit a limited number of sporting groups. Shared use of this facility would become a major issue, as all sporting codes (rugby, football, hockey, netball etc) from various interested clubs would all require the use of this simultaneously (during heavy rain / cold winter months) and there would not be enough space to accomodate all. This money would be better allocated to minor upgrades to existing sporting facilities so all clubs / codes would be able to continue to fucntion & support activity on their own allocated grounds. This proposed facility is also in an isolated area, only benefiting Central Nelson clubs as opposed to being accessible to groups accross the region.
1329.5	Not affordable and with no shortage of spaces for sport not a priority
1373.6	defer until can afford
1391.6	We would need more than one astroturf pitch, surely?
1421.3	This sounds like a 'nice to have' not an essential in these difficult economic times.
1452.5	If investment is to be made into sports facilities i would like to see more focus on non traditional sports such as developing the mountain biking access and network infrastructure. Mountain biking is a growing sport and Nelson has the one or if not the best natural geography to maximise the benefits of development of any city in the country. This would provide greater community and economic benefits than an all weather sports pitch that is used one day a week.