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The New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) has announced that 10 Auckland parks have been awarded the coveted international Green Flag Award.

The Green Flag Award is the international mark of a quality park or green space, judged by green space-expert volunteers, across eight criteria. These criteria include horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, community involvement and providing a warm welcome.

This year has seen 18 New Zealand parks awarded a Green Flag, with the achievement a recognition of the hard work the teams at all of the parks have put in for their local communities.

Being piloted in New Zealand by the NZRA, the Green Flag Award scheme was launched in 1996 and is managed in England by Keep Britain Tidy. Over the past 22 years flags now fly over 1,700 sites across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Karl Nesbitt, the NZRA’s Parks and Open Spaces Programme Manager, explained “we know the significant contribution that public parks make to healthy lifestyles. If we want liveable cities and thriving communities, then we need to invest in these public spaces and ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to quality parks and green spaces.

“We are delighted to be celebrating so many winners in New Zealand. When you visit a park and see the Green Flag flying, you know you are in one of the very best green spaces.”

The winning parks are:

Long Bay Regional Park, North East Auckland 
Auckland Domain 
Sanders Reserve, Albany North Shore 
Ambury Regional Park, South West Auckland 
Tawharanui Regional Park, Omaha North East Auckland 
Parrs Park, West Auckland 
Tapapakanga Regional Park, South East 
Olympic Park, Auckland 
Wenderholm Regional Park, Waiwera, North Auckland 
Waikumete Cemetery, West Auckland 
Pukekura Park, New Plymouth 
TECT All Terrain Park, Bay of Plenty 
Parihaka Scenic Reserve, Whangarei 
McLaren Falls Park, Tauranga 
Otari-Wilton's Bush, Wellington
Maunu Cemetery, Whangarei 
Halswell Quarry, Christchurch 
Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton 

Images: The Auckland Domain (top) and Pukekura Park, New Plymouth (below).

23rd February 2018 - VALUE OF GREEN SPACE TO BE CELEBRATED THROUGH PARKS WEEK 2018 

11th March 2017 - GREEN FLAGS FLYING OVER AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND PUBLIC PARKS

3rd January 2017 - HEAD OF AUCKLAND PARKS SERVICES NAMED NEW NZRA CHAIRPERSON

25th November 2016 - AUCKLAND RESERVE NAMED WORLD LANDSCAPE OF THE YEAR 2016 

20th November 2016 - HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL WELCOMES NZRA RECOGNITION 

24th May 2016 - AUCKLAND BOTANIC GARDENS BACKS INAUGURAL BOTANIC GARDEN OPEN DAY 

27th February 2016 - HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL RETAINS WAIWHAKAREKE NATURAL HERITAGE PARK AS PART OF ECOLOGICAL PROJECT

21st December 2014 - NZRA HIGHLIGHTS THE VALUE OF COUNCIL RECREATION INVESTMENT 

9th January 2014 - OUTSTANDING PARKS RECOGNISED WITH INTERNATIONAL GREEN FLAG AWARD 

12th April 2013 - AUCKLAND COUNCIL LAUNCHES MULTI-DAY KAYAK TRAIL

29th September 2010 - NEW COASTAL PARK PURCHASED BY ARC

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