News that Waikumete Cemetery and Parrs Park have won the prestigious Green Flag Award for the fourth time is well deserved, says Waitākere Ranges Local Board.
The parks are two of 10 winners across Auckland to receive the award – an international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
Four times a winner
It follows both parks winning the awards in 2014, 2016 and 2017 (the scheme did not operate in NZ in 2015), while Waikumete was the first cemetery to win the award in the southern hemisphere.
Saffron Toms, Deputy Chair of Waitākere Ranges Local Board, says the awards help showcase the breadth of parks in the local board area.
“These are well-deserved awards for two absolutely fantastic parks,” she says.
“They are both really well utilised by the community and cater for a wide range of needs.
"Parrs park has wonderful natural areas and open meadows, excellent play facilities for families and young children, while also being a real community hub with its well-used sports fields and Hoani Waititi Marae."
Unique space
"Waikumete is unique in what it offers. It is the largest cemetery in New Zealand, and one of the largest in the southern hemisphere. It has breathtaking views and provides a majestic setting for people to be laid to rest.
"We are proud that two of the most well-loved spaces in the area have received international recognition, it is richly deserved for these fantastic places," she says.
The awards scheme, which launched in England over two decades ago and was introduced to Australasia in 2012, assesses how well green spaces meet the needs of the local community.
Managed locally by the New Zealand Recreation Association and overseen by Keep Britain Tidy, judging criteria for the awards includes quality of services, safety, maintenance, community involvement and sustainability.
