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Community parks and reserves

Community parks and reserves are important because they provide a space for people to connect with nature, engage in physical activity, and socialise.

These spaces serve as a hub for community gatherings and events, and often include amenities such as playgrounds, walking trails, and seats. Parks and reserves can also provide environmental benefits by preserving natural habitats and supporting biodiversity. They play a critical role in fostering healthy, connected communities and promoting a sustainable future.

Guiding principles for providing and improving reserves and parks

Principle 1

Council has a role to provide parks and open spaces across the district that provide opportunities for people to get out, get moving or simply get some fresh air and interact with nature.

Principle 2

Council will provide a reserve network across the district, where:

  • Most houses in urban areas are within a short walkable distance from a neighbourhood park, which has a basic playground and somewhere to kick a ball around.
  • Most houses in urban areas are within a short drive or cycle from a community park. This is a larger play space that supports more activities. It should be a community hub for informal recreation, with a more substantial playground, hard and soft play surfaces (for example, a field with goals, and a hard court for basketball or tennis, or a skatepark or pump track) and a larger recreation space with supporting amenities such as toilets and benches. Examples are Besley Park, Brice Street Reserve, and Te Kapua Park.
  • Bush areas, waterfront reserves and gullies support open recreation, access to our lakes and waterways, play, leisure, walking, cycling and picnicking.
  • Safe spaces are available for dogs to be exercised off-leash.
  • Playgrounds have appropriate shade.
  • There are activities and amenities to support a range of ages and abilities.

Principle 3

Community reserves will be managed so they enhance the local environment.

Principle 4

Community reserves will be inclusive and accessible so everyone in our community can get out and enjoy them.

Principle 5

Our shared pathway network and connections will be progressively improved through improvements to our community reserves, footpath networks and new development areas

Principle 6

Local communities will be given the opportunity to participate in:

  • Identifying what needs to be improved
  • Enhancing community reserves.
  • Council will closely work with Iwi and Hapū to enable them to share their stories as they deem appropriate through our reserves and facilities networks

Principle 7

Weed management will take a long-term holistic approach that prioritises natural processes.

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