The Canterbury and South Canterbury Spaces and Places Plan focuses on an area defined by the territorial boundaries of Ashburton District Council, Selwyn District Council, Christchurch City Council, Waimakariri District Council, Hurunui District Council, Waimate District Council, Timaru District Council and Mackenzie District Council.

The plan identifies key issues or projects that are priorities for the region. It also reinforces several facility developments already confirmed/built will be fundamental to the developing network.

It reflects the region’s stakeholders, their vision and priorities. Many of the stakeholders embraced the opportunity to partake in the planning as a way of revisiting their priorities.

In addition to sports, councils and funders are encouraged to use the plan in their decision-making and prioritising.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The West Coast Spaces and Spaces Strategy for sport and active recreation facilities has been developed to understand the future requirements for facilities in the area. Te Tai Poutini West Coast area has a range of facilities, many of which are ageing or have served changing communities.

The West Coast is a truly unique region within Aotearoa New Zealand. This creates both opportunities and challenges that have been identified in this strategy. The relatively small population is spread across a wide area increasing the need to travel to access facilities.

The strategy uses a “hierarchy” approach to identify which facilities can support participation or competitions at the regional, district or community level. It’s important to consider this when planning future facilities, as not every district may need facilities at the same level within the hierarchy of facility requirements.