New Zealand Top Parks Of 2020 Announced

For many of us parks have been a haven during COVID-19. They have helped our communities remain healthy, active, and connected during the pandemic. Recreation Aotearoa are thrilled to announce that 24 parks across New Zealand, including two first time recipients, have just been awarded the internationally recognised Green Flag Award®.

The Green Flag Award® recognises and rewards parks and green spaces providing high quality and innovative recreational experiences for our communities. The award sets a benchmark standard for recreational outdoor spaces worldwide. Parks are awarded based on a criterion marked by experienced Green Flag Award® judges throughout the country.

The 2020 Green Flag Award® winning parks are:

• Randwick Park, Auckland
• Ambury Regional Park, Auckland
• King Edward Park, Hawera
• Thompson House, Levin
• Queen Elizabeth Park, Masterton
• Henley Lake, Masterton (first time recipient)
• Te Mata Peak, Hastings
• Wellington Botanical Gardens, Wellington
• Bolton Street Cemetery, Wellington
• Otari-Wiltons Bush, Wellington
• Holben Reserve, Foxton (first time recipient)
• Auckland Domain, Auckland
• Gisborne Botanical Gardens, Gisborne
• TECT Park, Western BOP
• Cornwall Park, Hastings
• Pukekura Park, New Plymouth
• Havelock North Village Green, Hastings
• Flaxmere Park, Hastings
• Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland
• Driscoll Reserve, Horowhenua
• Parrs Park, Auckland
• Long Bay Regional Park, Auckland
• Sanders Reserve, Auckland
• Tawharanui Regional Park, Auckland

The Green Flag Award® is a great way for our local parks to enhance public attraction and engagement, maximise funding and revenue opportunities, and give communities a sense of civic pride.

Recreation Aotearoa Parks and Open Spaces Manager, Annette Richards, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many of our parks investing time into creating spaces where our communities can connect and find joy. It is significant for us to be able to recognise these parks with this award. But it’s about so much more than winning an award. It’s about embarking on a journey with all the people that make providing quality horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, access, community involvement and a warm welcome for our visitors and locals possible.”

The winning sites will be gifted a Green Flag to fly proudly in their parks for the public to see.

You can visit the Green Flag Award® website to find out more about the programme, the winners, and how to get your parks involved: https://www.greenflagaward.org/

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