Masterton’s Queen Elizabeth Park gateway. PHOTO/KAREN COLTMAN
KAREN COLTMAN
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Masterton’s Queen Elizabeth Park gained its second Green Flag award from Recreation Aotearoa this week.
Masterton District Council’s community facilities and activities manager Andrea Jackson was delighted with the award.
“As locals know, Queen Elizabeth Park really is one of Masterton’s treasures,” she said.
“This is a credit to the way it is managed, in a collaborative way, with our contractor Recreational Services, and Friends of the Queen Elizabeth Park, on behalf of our community.
“As part of the contract with Recreational Services, from July this year the park has had a dedicated kaitiaki [custodian], and we can see the benefits from this already.”
The park has been a hive of activity this year.
Stage five of the council’s park rejuvenation project, involving refurbishment of paths and amenities around the Lake of Remembrance, is close to completion, as is work on the historic cricket grandstand.
Friends of the Park have funded a project naming prominent trees for a “tree trail” through the park, and volunteers have also been involved in rejuvenating the island in the Lake of Remembrance.
The whole park is a protected Heritage Historical Precinct in the council’s district plan.
The award is judged by green space expert volunteers, across 27 criteria.
These include horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, community involvement, accessibility and providing a warm welcome.
“As judges we’ve had the great opportunity to experience some of New Zealand’s quality spaces used by the community,” judge Karl Nesbitt said.
Across New Zealand, 29 Green Flags have been awarded.
This is an international programme, run in New Zealand by Recreation Aotearoa.
Those of us who are longer in the tooth will perhaps consider that the park is a mere shadow of it’s former self, possibly due to the effects of contracting out of services and the associated lack of “ownership” and pride in it’s appearance….