Welcome to Councils Parks and Gardens Division

1
Welcome to Councils Parks and Gardens Division

• Presentation on LTCCP Activity 4 Parks and
  Reserves

2
Outline

• The Division Overview (Bruce)
• Horticultural assets issues (Judy)
• Reserves assets issues (Craig)
• Sportsgrounds assets issues (Aaron)
• Policies/strategies/plans (Kelly)
• Questions

3
Parks Gardens Division

• 11 staff (9.7 FTEs)
• 3 Main Roles
• Policy advice development (2.5 FTEs)
• Asset management (3.6 FTEs)
• Contract Management (2 FTEs)
• Community liaison/volunteers (0.8 FTE)
• Administrative Support (0.8 FTE)
• Flat structure stable committed team
• All physical works contracted out

4
Parks Gardens Activity

• Operational Costs -9.68 M
• Assets valued over 100M
• 5,300 hectares of land managed as reserve (2,200
  in the regional parks)
• Important role in maintaining the character of
  the City- natural developed landscapes,
  biodiversity recreational opportunities

5
Challenges

• Interacting with our varied public
• Understanding and balancing changing expectations
  - consultation, service levels etc
• Tapping into interest in ecology
• Balancing day to day with strategic
• Ageing infrastructure
• Trees 50-70 years on

6
Value for money

• 22 cents per person per day or
• 80 per person per year
• Provides residents and visitors with a wide
  range of public open spaces and recreational
  opportunities
• Simultaneously offering tremendous habitat and
  ecological opportunities

7
The Horticultural Assets

• 18 Garden Parks
• Over 260 street/ traffic island gardens
• Almost 10,000 street trees, one per 3 houses
• Cost to the city of efficiencies One third of
  the seasonal colour flower gardens prior to 1995
• 104 Notable trees protected under District Plan
• 1 species protected Nikau Palm

8
Horticultural sites provide the community with
opportunities
9
Garden Parks add value to neighbourhoods and
lifestyles
10
Annual bedding

11
Street trees soften the Urban environment
12
Native plantings as insurance

13
Benefits offered by Hort assets

• Horticulture shows the face of the city
• Value of properties increased by at least 12
  with planting
• Offers a feel good factor year round
• Commitment to plant conservation
• Contribute to programming, education, event and
  tourism opportunities

14
The Reserve Assets

• HCC owns 5000ha Reserve, manage nearly 3000ha
• 25 KM of maintained walking tracks
• 47 KM Firebreak Network
• 56 playgrounds and 3 skate parks city wide
• 16 KM Beach

15
Benefits offered by Reserves

• Reserves contribute to the identity and character
  of the Hutt Valley help maintain Biodiversity

• Used for Community Activities - Play, Walking,
  Tramping, Mountain Biking, informal Sports,
• Swimming and other coastal
  Activities

16
Cemeteries and Wharves

• Taita Cemetery Garden of Remembrance
• 370 internments annually 4 years at Taita
• 4 wharves, 2 jetties and 8 boat ramps

17
Sportsgrounds

• 150 ha of land - 29 sportsgrounds 230 fields,
  8 tennis courts, 10 croquet lawns
• Levels of Service meet codes/clubs
• AMP provides for 95 availability about 18-20
  weeks per season
• Achieve 95 satisfaction levels NRB Survey
• Average of 15,000 per weekend

18
Sportsgrounds

• Non-traditional use - frisbee marching
  competitions, Xmas in the Park, regularly used
  for national tournaments
• Field capacity increased expectations, longer
  season, need for investment
• Sportsgrounds Review 2008/2009
• Contract Renewal anticipate cost increase

19
Key documents being developed

• Review of 1998 Walkways Review, draft by end 2008
• Urban Forest Plan, completed by July 2009
• Reserve Management Plans for Percy Scenic Reserve
  and Jubilee Park, draft by end 2008
• Sports Ground Review, draft by May 2009
• Updating Asset Management Plan and preparing
  contribution to LTCCP process, ongoing

20
Issues facing the Division and Parks Industry

• Scarcity of trained, experienced staff
• Changing functions of public open space
• Volunteering, particularly for clubs hosted by
  Council
• Changing urban landscape
• Anticipating more demand for local, casual
  recreation
• Parks losing status in the list of key
  infrastructure