Play is a ‘Must-Have’ for Local Government
In New Zealand the government has recently urged councils to prioritise "must-haves" over "nice-to-haves," in a bid to reduce the cost of living and improve efficiency. While fiscal responsibility is always important, this approach risks misclassifying certain essential elements of local government work—like play—as optional luxuries. In reality, play fundamental parts to human well-being, shaping individual lives, strengthening communities, and fostering long-term resilience.[1] Misunderstanding play as non-essential overlooks its profound societal, cultural, environmental, and economic value. As I’ve explored in a 2023 journal article, play directly supports the four well-beings in the Local Government Act 2002.
Ironically, the government’s push includes plans to remove these four well-beings from the Act altogether, arguing that they’re distractions and contribute to financial strain. Let’s be clear: well-being is the core of local government work, whether enshrined in legislation or not because every service provided—regardless of audience—aims to improve lives. I’ll go a step further though, because play actually supports numerous national and local government objectives that at first glance may not seem interconnected. That means play is not just an added benefit; it is a cornerstone of thriving communities and, therefore, a must-have.
This essay examines play’s role as a legal right, a national strategic priority that local governments must help action, and a cost-effective driver of health, well-being, education, urban vitality, and environmental connection.
Play as a Legal and Rights-Based Imperative
New Zealand’s commitment to play is enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which recognises play as a fundamental children’s (0–18-year-olds) right under Article 31 (New Zealand’s commitment to the UNCRC is highlighted by many government ministries and crown entities).[2] As part of the state apparatus, local governments share the responsibility to uphold this right. General Comment No. 17 from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (helpfully summarised by the International Play Association) highlights global shortcomings in fulfilling this obligation, citing urbanisation, lack of public space, and inadequate planning as key barriers.
Local governments are the key managers of public spaces and deliverers of urban development and therefore play a critical role in enabling children’s access to play. By investing in accessible, inclusive play opportunities (not just playgrounds), councils can actively fulfil the obligation to the UNCRC while addressing existing gaps that hinder children’s development and well-being.
Play as a Strategic Priority Across Sectors
Far from being an isolated or niche interest, play is embedded within many national strategies and frameworks in New Zealand, demonstrating its value as a strategic investment for local government. These include:
Physical Activity and Health: Sport NZ’s Bicultural Play Plan, Kia Hīanga and the Ministry of Health’s guidelines on physical activity highlight play’s role in combating sedentary behaviour, improving mental health, and supporting child development.
Supporting play contributes to reduced demand on healthcare services by improving community health outcomes, aligning with councils' long-term social and economic objectives.
Healthier, more active communities will translate to lower social costs and increased productivity, which benefits councils by reducing public expenditure and enhancing community resilience.
Social and Economic Well-being: The Treasury's Living Standards Framework identifies leisure and play as critical contributors to individual and collective well-being, demonstrating that play supports broad societal goals like mental health, social connection, and economic resilience.
Investing in play aligns councils with this framework by creating vibrant, thriving communities where well-being is prioritised, which enhances the perception of councils as progressive and people-focused.
Councils that embed play in their work (from strategy and policy to the physical environment) will contribute to higher living standards, aligning with national well-being and prosperity goals.
Education and Child/Youth Development: The Ministry of Education’s Te Whāriki curriculum (explicitly) and the Child and Youth Strategy (implicitly) underscore play’s importance in fostering cognitive and socio-emotional skills during critical early development phases.
Play spaces and initiatives support youth engagement, reducing anti-social behaviours and fostering a stronger sense of community identity, both of which benefit councils in maintaining social cohesion.
By prioritising equitable access to play, councils demonstrate leadership in addressing inequality, strengthening their role as community advocates and trusted partners.
Urban Development and Transport: Ministry for the Environment’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development, Waka Kotahi’s Aotearoa Urban Street Planning and Design Guide and Kāinga Ora’s Landscape Design Guide advocate for well-functioning urban environments with streets and public spaces that balance functionality with opportunities for social interaction and play.
Well-designed, playable public spaces have been shown to increase land and property values, providing councils with a stronger rate base and a more attractive urban environment for investment.
Play experiences embedded in urban design can contribute to reducing transport needs, supporting councils’ climate and emissions goals while addressing mode-shift challenges associated with urban densification.
Environmental Connection: The Department of Conservation’s report on connecting children with nature aligns play with sustainable land use and environmental stewardship, central to the Resource Management Act.
Nature play initiatives enhance community pride and stewardship over natural spaces, reducing capital costs and fostering shared responsibility for public assets.
Integrating nature into play design aligns councils with national environmental goals, strengthening funding bids and partnerships for sustainable urban development.
These cross-sector alignments make play a natural and necessary priority for local government, offering solutions to complex challenges like urban densification, health inequities, and environmental conservation.
Play as a Cost-Effective Investment
Beyond its social and developmental benefits, play offers significant economic value. A recent Sport NZ-commissioned report estimates that every $1 invested in play, recreation, and sport yields a $2.12 return in social value. This conservative figure excludes Māori outcomes and suggests even greater untapped potential. Aligning with the government’s focus on social investment (from the Child and Youth Strategy 2024–2027), councils can leverage play to achieve measurable well-being outcomes while reducing future costs in healthcare, education, and social services.
Play is a Tool for Local Government Success
Local governments have a unique opportunity to integrate play into their planning, policies, and service delivery. By recognising play as a must-have, councils can:
Fulfil international legal obligations to uphold children’s rights and promote equitable access to play.
Align with national frameworks like the Treasury’s Living Standards Framework and other strategies to maximize well-being outcomes.
Enable healthier, more active communities, reducing long-term healthcare costs and increasing community resilience.
Promote social cohesion and intergenerational bonds, fostering stronger community identities and reducing anti-social behaviours.
Drive urban vitality and economic growth by creating attractive, multi-purpose public spaces that increase land and property values.
Reduce transport-related emissions and support climate goals by integrating play into well-designed, nearby recreation spaces that encourage mode shift.
Foster environmental stewardship and shared responsibility for natural spaces through nature play, reducing maintenance costs.
Enhance council leadership and reputation as trusted community advocates addressing inequality and promoting progressive, people-focused initiatives.
Support long-term economic stability by addressing issues like sedentary behaviour and social isolation early, reducing public expenditure and increasing productivity.
Integrating play advocates into council decision-making processes and leveraging support from initiatives like Sport NZ’s National Play Workforce Programme can further strengthen the strategic delivery of play outcomes.
Play is a Core Service, not a Luxury
There are complex realities that elected members and decision-makers face, balancing a long list of priorities with limited resources. It’s a difficult position, where any choice attracts criticism. However, local government can be confident that play opportunities and outcomes are a must-have component of their work and any choice to invest in it is not frivolous, wasteful, or in opposition to national directives. Anyone categorising play as "nice-to-have" fundamentally misunderstands its role in achieving local and national objectives. Play is a strategic, cost-effective investment in health, education, social cohesion, urban development, and environmental sustainability. Recognising play as a core component of local government responsibilities ensures it will meet its own outcomes and that communities can thrive, today and into the future.
[1] Play is crucial for children’s physical, cognitive, and social development, enhancing motor skills and physical health, brain development and problem-solving capabilities, academic readiness through improved concentration and motivation, cooperation, conflict resolution, and empathy, and emotional resilience and stress management.
Play also delivers broader societal benefits. It develops critical future workforce skills, boosting productivity and innovation capacity, growing soft skills that are increasingly crucial for economic success as technology reshapes the job market, fosters environmental appreciation, crucial for addressing future climate challenges, strengthens social connections across generations.
[2] Ministry and crown entity references to the UNCRC:
