Regional parks of New Zealand are protected areas administered by regional councils, the top tier of local government. Regional parks are found across five regions of New Zealand: the Auckland Region, Waikato Region, Bay of Plenty Region, Wellington Region and Canterbury Region. Regional parks in the Auckland and Waikato regions are administered by the Auckland Council, while parks in other areas are administered by regional councils: the Bay of Plenty Regional Council,[1] Greater Wellington Regional Council,[2] and Canterbury Regional Council.[3]
History
editRegional parks in New Zealand are large open spaces typically outside the metropolitan boundaries of cities; larger than city parks and smaller than the National parks of New Zealand. The first regional park in New Zealand was the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park, which was established in 1964 when the Centennial Memorial Park of the Waitākere Ranges had its administration transferred from Auckland City Council to the Auckland Regional Authority. The first park purchased and established by the Auckland Regional Authority was Wenderholm Regional Park in 1965.[4]
East Harbour Regional Park, managed by the Greater Wellington Regional Council, was the first regional park established in the Wellington Region in 1979.[5]
The Local Government Act 2002 empowered other local government authorities outside of Auckland and Wellington to establish regional parks.[4] The first of these was the Papamoa Hills Regional Park in the Bay of Plenty Region, established in 2004. The first regional park in the Canterbury Region was the Waimakariri River Regional Park, established in 2006/[6]
In November 2010, local government reforms merged the different local government authorities of Auckland into a single unitary authority, the Auckland Council. During this process, areas of Franklin District and Manukau City were reassigned to the Waikato Region, including areas which included regional parks. Because of this, three regional parks are found in the northern Waikato, which are administered by the Auckland Council.[7]
List of regional parks
editThis table lists current regional parks from north to south.
List of regional council administered areas
editThis table lists areas administered under regional park systems or by regional councils, from north to south.
| Regional Park | Image | Region | Area km2[7][8] | Established | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Smart | 
|
Auckland Region | 0.22 [25] | 1985[26] | 36°55′05″S 174°48′43″E / 36.918°S 174.812°E | Domain and stadium in central Auckland, which came under the administration of the Auckland Regional Authority in 1985, later the Auckland Regional Council from 1989.[27] Until the dissolution of the Auckland Regional Council in 2010, Mount Smart Domain was mentioned in regional park documents. |
| Te Motu a Hiaroa / Puketutu | 
|
Auckland Region | 0.187 [28] | N/A | 36°57′54″S 174°44′46″E / 36.965°S 174.746°E | Island in the Manukau Harbour, South Auckland. While officially designated as a regional park by the Auckland Council,[15] the island is currently leased by Watercare Services, who are reconstructing the quarried hills with biosolids.[28] Once filling operations have ceased by 2049, the island is planned to be redeveloped into a regional park and cultural centre, including a marae and wānanga.[28][29] |
| Hutt Water Collection Area | 
|
Wellington Region | 89 [30] | 1951[31] | 41°00′36″S 175°09′18″E / 41.010°S 175.155°E | |
| Whitireia Park | 
|
Wellington Region | 1.8 | 1976[32] | 41°06′00″S 174°51′14″E / 41.100°S 174.854°E | Southern headland of Porirua Harbour. While it shares features with regional parks and is listed alongside other regional parks of Wellington, it is not a regional park due to being administered by the Whitireia Park Board.[33] |
| Hutt River Trail | 
|
Wellington Region | 41°09′43″S 174°58′39″E / 41.1619°S 174.9774°E | Walking and cycling path along the banks of the Hutt River | ||
| Wairarapa Moana Wetlands | 
|
Wellington Region | 90 | 41°14′02″S 175°11′35″E / 41.234°S 175.193°E | Lake Wairarapa, Lake Ōnoke and a section of wetlands on the eastern shore of Lake Wairarapa | |
| Wainuiomata Water Collection Area | 
|
Wellington Region | 41°15′43″S 175°00′36″E / 41.262°S 175.01°E | Proposed site of the Puketahā wildlife sanctuary.[34] | ||
| Northern Pegasus Bay | 
|
Canterbury Region | 43°16′05″S 172°43′12″E / 43.268°S 172.720°E | Shores of Pegasus Bay north of the Waimakariri River mouth |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ The Waitākere Ranges Regional Park has grown over time, with the first sections reserved in 1895, and a sizeable portion, the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park opening in 1940. By 1964, the expanded park was proclaimed to be the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.
- ^ Prior to 2010, the park was located in Manukau City. Currently in the Waikato Region, the park is administered by the Auckland Council.
- ^ Prior to 2010, the ranges were primarily found in the territory of Manukau City, with southern areas found in the Franklin District. Since 2010, the ranges are primarily found in the Waikato Region with the north-western section in the Auckland Region. The Regional Park is administered by the Auckland Council.[16]
- ^ Including both Hunua Ranges Regional Park and Hunua Falls Scenic Reserve
- ^ Hunua Ranges Regional Park was gradually purchased by the Auckland City Council for water supply operations from the 1920s onwards. When Auckland Regional Authority took over management of the area in 1965, the area became known as Hunua Regional Park.[17]
- ^ Prior to 2010, the park was located in Manukau City. Currently in the Waikato Region, the park is administered by the Auckland Council.
- ^ Prior to 2022, the regional park was known as Wainuiomata Recreation Area.[22]
References
edit- ^ "Bay of Plenty Regional Parks". boprc.govt.nz. Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
- ^ "Wellington Regional Parks". gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ "Regional parks". ecan.govt.nz. Canterbury Regional Council.
- ^ a b Pollock, Kerryn (11 March 2010). "City parks and green spaces - Regional parks". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ a b East Harbour Regional Park Resource Statement (PDF) (Report). Greater Wellington. September 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Regional park opens for walkers and bikers". The Press. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2024 – via National Library of New Zealand.
- ^ a b c d Te Mahere Whakahaere i ngā Papa Rēhia ā-Rohe: Regional Parks Management Plan 2022 (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. September 2022. pp. 430–440. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b Toitū Te Whenua Parks Network Plan 2020-30 (PDF) (Report). Greater Wellington Regional Council . 10 December 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Success after three decades bleatin' into submission". Mahurangi Magazine. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Janssen, Peter (January 2021). Greater Auckland Walks. New Holland Publishers. p. 104-105. ISBN 978-1-86966-516-6. Wikidata Q118136068.
- ^ English, Philip (5 June 1997). "Last round-up near on Hamlins Hill". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 January 2024 – via National Library of New Zealand.
- ^ "History of the Ambury Area - Auckland Regional Council Ambury Regional Park Management Plan 1994" (PDF). Auckland Council. 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ Wassilieff, Maggy (24 November 2008). "Auckland Botanic Gardens - Public gardens - Modern public gardens". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Auckland Council secures land to expand iconic Auckland Botanic Gardens". OurAuckland. Auckland Council. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Volume 2: Our detailed budgets, strategies and policies". Auckland Council. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Council profile". aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Auckland Council.
- ^ Rogers, Kerry (November 2006). "Slaking the Big Thirst". New Zealand Geographic. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park". Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Pāpāmoa Hills". bayofplentynz.com. Bay of Plenty NZ.
- ^ Rotorua Daily Post (31 March 2017). "Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park gets bigger and better". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park". Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Renaming of Reserves—Wainuiomata Recreation Area". gazette.govt.nz. New Zealand Gazette.
- ^ Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park Management Plan (Report). Environment Canterbury. July 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Ferrymead Park". Christchurch City Council. 26 May 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014 No 52 (as at 12 April 2022), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation". New Zealand Government. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Mount Smart Regional Recreation Centre Act 1985". New Zealand Government. 17 December 1985. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Auditor-General of New Zealand (January 2010). "Auckland Regional Council: Management of the LA Galaxy event at Mount Smart Stadium" (PDF). New Zealand Government. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Gibson, Anne (12 December 2023). "Property Insider: New marae, wānanga planned for Te Motu a Hiaroa/Puketutu Island; green goes black in Point Chevalier; pyrrhic victory in accidental email trail". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Hutt, Kendall (5 May 2019). "Volcanic island's cones to be rebuilt with millions of tonnes of human waste". Stuff. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Hutt Water Collection Area". gw.govt.nz. Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ Walzl, Tony. "Hutt and Wainuiomata/Orongorongo water collection areas History" (PDF). gwrc.govt.nz. Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ "History of Whitireia Park". gw.govt.nz. Wellington Regional Council. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Whitireia Park Board (2016). Whitireia Park Management Plan and Whitireia Park Bylaws 2016 (PDF) (Report). Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Vance, Andrea (28 March 2022). "Proposed eco-sanctuary could boost the population of up to 30 native species". Stuff. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.