Ambury Regional Park in Māngere Bridge is not just a working farm, an important education centre and a bird watchers paradise, it’s also a recipient of a Green Flag award, marking it as one of the best parks in the world.
The Green Flag Award scheme is an international quality mark for parks and green spaces, which assesses parks on criteria such as quality of services, safety, maintenance, community involvement and sustainability.
Manukau City Ward Councillor Alf Filipaina says, "Being named one of the best parks in the world on a worldwide scale as a recipient of the Green Flag award, makes our people very proud of our regional park here in Māngere. I would like to acknowledge and thank the outstanding staff members at Ambury Regional Park who serve as excellent stewards by maintaining and caring for the park, the facilities, the animals and customers."
The Manukau Harbour and the Tamaki Estuary surround three sides of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board area. The area includes the coastal township of Māngere Bridge, the Māngere and Ōtāhuhu town centres, as well as the Favona and Māngere East town centre and suburbs.
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local board Chair Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich is delighted the park has been recognised in the green park awards.
“Ambury Park is a Mangere gem, nestled along the Manukau Harbour and has provided much solace and enjoyment for not only our local community but also to our international visitors.
“This space not only showcases the surrounding natural beauty but is well cared for by committed staff and people, who pour their hearts and energy into the whenua and its inhabitants, so getting the Green Flag award is well deserved.”
Map of Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board boundaries
The dry-stone walls surrounding Ambury Regional Park are a testament to the early farmers who settled here from Cornwell and Scotland, while the name of the park itself is taken from the Ambury Milk Company that provided the town milk supply from 1893 to 1965.
A smoke free park, visitors to the park are offered are wide range of activities from:
- walking and cycling
- BBQ's and picnic spots
- ranger office
- bike routes
- to opportunities to interact directly with the farm animals (there is public lamb feeding and cow milking between July and November)
- and participating in community workshops.
Recently, Walmsley and Underwood Park, Totara Park and North Shore Memorial Park have joined Ambury Regional Park and six other Auckland Council parks, as being recognised as some of the best green spaces in the world in the annual Green Flag Awards.
Auckland Council parks have consistently been awarded Green Flags since 2016, setting a standard for excellence in public parks and providing quality outdoor spaces across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Taryn Crewe, Auckland Council’s General Manager for Parks and Community Facilities, is pleased acknowledging, “We know the significant contribution that public parks make to our general well-being, so it’s fantastic to see that our green spaces are consistently judged as some of the best in the world. Our staff and contractors work hard to create parks for all Aucklanders to enjoy, and it’s a credit to their dedication and enthusiasm”.
For a full list of Green Flag award parks in Tāmaki Makaurau, read the OurAuckland article here.
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