Hamilton City Council has opened its annual month-long Parks Survey.

The survey is a key part of the regular analysis the Council does on its levels of service and performance managing the hundreds of hectares of reserve land it is responsible for across the city.

Maria Barrie, the Council’s Parks and Recreation Spaces Manager, says the survey informs the work of staff responsible for planning and management of the city’s network of parks, playgrounds, river paths and natural areas.

“Hamilton’s population is growing, corresponding with increasing demand on our parks,” Ms Barrie says.

“The growth is projected to continue, and we need to plan for that. We also want to understand what our community and stakeholders think of our parks so we can plan ahead and address any issues.”

Ms Barrie says the views and experiences of the city’s park users are fundamental to staff developing an understanding of how the city’s residents use the parks and where development and change may be needed.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and questions cover respondents’ experiences in the park, their transport choices to and from the parks, how frequently they visit, and the design, facilities and assets in the parks they visit. Questions on why people visited the city’s parks and demographic information are also included.

“This is an important piece of work for the staff who plan for our park management – and all members of the community are welcome to respond,” Ms Barrie says.

The survey can be found at www.hamilton.govt.nz/2019parksurvey and physical copies will be available at branches of Hamilton City Libraries.

The survey closes on Sunday, 11 August.

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