Mayor gets behind Parks Week

Next week is Parks Week, the week we celebrate our community's green spaces.

Parks Week, which runs from 7 to 15 March, is an international celebration of the important role parks play in contributing to the health of our communities.

To celebrate the event Mayor Ross Church is inviting people to join him in walking the Te Ara o Tipapa – Wetland walk in Queen Elizabeth Park on Saturday 14 March.

“This is a guided walk with park rangers on hand to answer questions and help people learn a little more about Queen Elizabeth Park and the plants and birdlife that inhabit it,” says Mayor Church. 

The walk is part of a week of activities in the region to highlight the importance of parks, encourage greater use of them and to celebrate the work volunteers do to care for them.

Council maintains 21 parks throughout Kāpiti and a recent survey of users rated their overall satisfaction level at 94% for things such as cleanliness and maintenance, pathways and tracks, playground equipment and toilets.

The survey also revealed that Kapiti residents are frequent users of parks with 30% of respondents saying they visited a local park several times a week.

Mayor Church says parks can be enjoyed by young and old and promote healthy outdoors activities and fun.

“We all have our favourite places, where we like to take the children, walk the dog, cycle or indulge in a little quiet contemplation.  Council has a programme for constantly improving our parks by updating play equipment, installing BBQs and other equipment and improving tracks and pathways.”

To join Mayor Church for the walk in Queen Elizabeth Park to celebrate Parks Week, meet at 5pm, at the ranger’s office.  There will be a free sausage sizzle at the end of the walk.

For more information on the Te Ara o Tipapa walk go to http://www.gw.govt.nz/Walking-tracks/