News release
24 November 2010
A year of change for GW parks
It’s been a year of significant change for Greater Wellington’s regional parks network with an addition to East Harbour
Regional Park and a new approach to park management planning.
The recent acquisition of a 284 hectare property at Baring Head by a Greater Wellington-led consortium is a key
achievement, detailed in Greater Wellington’s Regional Parks Annual Report for the past financial year. The land has been added to East Harbour Regional Park and will be opened to the public on
Sunday 13 February 2011.
Greater Wellington’s Social and Cultural Wellbeing Committee Chair Nigel Wilson says that development of Greater
Wellington’s draft parks network plan is another highlight in the Regional Parks Annual Report. “This will bring all our parks’ policies and rules together in one document, providing greater consistency. I think
it’ll prove to be a great tool for managing parks and a useful reference document for our stakeholders in the community
such as environmental groups.”
Events in the parks feature prominently in the Regional Parks Annual Report. “Over 12,000 people attended the 2010 Great Outdoors summer events programme – this is a good number given the so-so
summer weather we experienced and shows just how important these parks are for providing the community with clean, green
spaces where people can enjoy nature,” says Cr Wilson
The report states that there were an estimated 800,000 visits to regional parks and forests over the past year and a
telephone survey indicated that 53% of the region’s population visited at least one regional park in the past 12 months.
The Regional Parks Annual Report also includes achievements in improving biodiversity within the network through pest control and planting days.
Copies of the Regional Parks Annual Report are available at libraries throughout the region. You can also view the report in Greater Wellington's online document
library at www.gw.govt.nz/plans.
ENDS