Activity: Recreation   

Council provides a range of parks, recreational facilities, and other activities which contribute to the health of the community. These activities include sporting and recreational events that gather people together and sometimes draw large crowds to the Far North. Swimming pools provide a range of opportunities from competitive swimming to casual recreational use. 

To achieve its outcomes, Council’s parks include a diverse range of community assets such as local playgrounds, court space, sports fields, through to large unspoilt wilderness areas acquired to protect the environment. Of particular importance to the district is the provision of easily available access to the coast, including strategically located maritime facilities.

Council contributes to community development and the general health of the community through the provision and maintenance of recreational facilities, encouraging the use of these facilities and supporting events that will contribute to community well being. 

Key facts 

Council maintains: 

• 23 playgrounds and 3 skate parks.
• 154 ha of open space is mown to a variety of grades depending on use.
• Courts at 3 netball centres (6 at Kaitaia, 8 at Kaikohe and 9 at Kerikeri) as well as a number of single courts throughout the district.
• 73 community leases that include sports clubs, grazing licenses and community spaces.
• 3 swimming pools at Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Kawakawa.
• Maritime assets such as 24 boat ramps, 13 jetties, 12 pontoons, 10 wharves, and 1 tidal grid.
• The Kaikohe recreational airport.

Council maintains:

• Funds Sport Northland to facilitate the Far North Sports awards, provide 4 community sports advisors (one in each ward, and one based at Lindvart Park).
• Provides grants to improve public access to Northland College and Whangaroa community pools.

Our major achievements in 2012/13 

• Completed netball courts as stage 1 of the Whatuwhiwhi recreation hub. 
• Completed reserve management plans for Waipapa Sports Ground, Walls Bay Esplanade Reserve and Hundertwasser Park.
• Completed a review of community policies.
• An agreement to transfer management of the Unahi wharf and ramp to the Awanui Progressive and Ratepayers Association has been approved and executed by Council. 
• Improvements have been made to various maritime facilities including Te Hapua Wharf, Mill Bay Jetty, Taipa Jetty Pontoon, Marlin Wharf, Pukenui Wharf, Totara North Wharf, Rawene Wharf, Waipapa Landing boat ramp, Taipa boat ramp and Russell boat ramp.

Challenges we experienced

• Managing the expectations of the public for improved aquatic facilities. 
• Responding to weather related damage to harbour edge facilities.

Plans for the next 12 months 

Continue to undertake local park improvements.

• Finalise the draft aquatic strategy and feasibility studies of heated pools in Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Kaikohe.
• Support the development of recreation hubs in Kaikohe, Rawene and Kaitaia (Te Hiku). 
• Continue to work with Ministry of Education (MOE) to develop community access agreements to increase public access to a range of recreation facilities on school land.
• Review the decision to improve changing facilities at Kawakawa swimming pool based on the outcome of the aquatic strategy.
• Continue to investigate ways in which some of the costs associated with maritime assets could be recovered from the users.