The newly built papa tākaro (play space) in Tūrangitukua Park has picked up three prestigious national awards.
The papa tākaro was joint winner of the Te Karanga o Te Tui Supreme Award at the recent New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Awards. This award recognises the most outstanding achievement in demonstration of Te Aranga, a set of outcome-based principles founded on Te Ao Māori cultural values and formulated to provide practical guidance for enhancing outcomes.
If that was not enough, the papa tākaro also won a merit award in the Playspace of the Year category at the 2024 Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards.
The papa tākaro is the result of a partnership between Ngāti Tūrangitukua, the owners of the whenua, and Taupō District Council who undertook the construction of the play space. Mayor David Trewavas says the awards were well-deserved and highlighted the benefits of working in partnership.
“I am absolutely delighted to hear Te Kapua has won such iconic awards and am extremely proud of everyone who was involved in the project,” he said.
“Although our teams don’t do the work for awards, it is great to be recognised at such a high level. This project highlights another awesome outcome of a great productive partnership with Ngāti Tūrangitukua and the playground has already been warmly embraced by our tamariki and visitors alike. Our local community, hapu and council teams have worked hard to make Turangi the amazing place it is today, and we are all extremely proud of the award for our beautiful playground.”
Tina Porou, of Ngāti Tūrangitukua, said: "Our hapū is proud to share the stories of our deep and intergenerational relationship with the whenua and wai of Ngāti Tūrangitukua, we take pride in the teachings of our ancestors and have been excited to see these relationships come to life in our papa tākaro.
"It is easy to see how they have touched our pepi while they play, and we are grateful to our own, Te Maari Gardiner and Te Ururangi Rowe as the artists for their talent in reflecting the beauty of our rohe."
Project Manager Pete Bradshaw says these awards are national recognition not just for the papa tākaro, but for the way in which Ngāti Turangitukua and the community have worked in partnership with Council.
“While those of us involved in the project always knew we were part of something special, it is great to see that the magic is evident to others up and down the motu as well. It really has been a fantastic team effort from start to finish and I am proud to have played my part.
“I want to give a big shout-out to all those who have helped make this a reality: Bespoke Landscape Architects, Playground Creations, Dempsey Contractors Ltd, Ngāti Tūrangitukua, council staff, local artists Te Maari Gardiner and Te Ururangi Rowe and last but by no means least our community and our tamariki, who have played such an important role throughout.”
