At Your Service - Parks and Reserves

The Council provides a range of parks and reserves, with service standards varying between categories of parks.

The six premier parks (a total area of 123 hectares) are Virginia Lake, Queens Park, Kowhai Park, Bason Botanic Gardens, Castlecliff Coastal Reserve and the upgraded Central City area. These high profile parks are maintained to high standards and provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. They are significant to Wanganui's cultural heritage.

There are 33 neighbourhood reserves (total area 17 hectares). These reserves, such as Lorenzdale Park and Hutton Park, provide safe, informal, active recreation opportunities with easy family access in suburban areas.

Open space reserves provide pleasant green areas for passive recreation activities while protecting Wanganui's historic features. There are 25 open space reserves (total area 42 hectares). Some examples of these reserves are the Riverbank and Mowhanau Beach Reserves.

The Council provides 15 sports grounds (total area 113 hectares); for example, Cooks Gardens, Springvale Park, Wembley Park. The intention is to supply sufficient ground space for organised sports where codes do not provide it themselves. In addition, sports and leisure programmes, such as junior cricket, are provided through Community Contracts.

The 27 wilderness reserves cover a total area of 1016 hectares. These semi-natural areas (for example, Matipo Park, Hylton Pit and Ototoka Beach) have minimal development or facilities and provide for active recreation opportunities such as orienteering and mountain biking.

Conservation reserves provide for the conservation of the natural environment. There are 26 of these reserves (total area 469 hectares); for example, Plimmer Reserve (Kauarapaoa Road), Westmere Lake and Hogg Park (Brunswick Road).

Road reserves are on almost every urban street, covering a total area of 2.16 hectares (includes 10,000 street trees, planting on roundabouts, traffic islands and typically includes the grass verges between the road and the footpath). They maintain the safe visibility of the roads while beautifying the streets and providing areas for recreation opportunities such as walking and jogging.

The following standards are common to all Wanganui's parks and reserves:

1. Public access, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The exception to this is Bason Botanic Gardens, which has specific opening hours.
2. Where toilets (29 in total) are provided, a high standard of cleanliness is maintained. For example, the toilets on the western edge of Virginia Lake are cleaned three times a day during the weekend and twice a day during the week.
3. Structures, including bridges, park benches and signs, are maintained as required with safety the priority.
4. The Council has a target 80% satisfaction level for all services.

Specific maintenance standards include:
Premier parks - grass is mown using a catcher in specific areas of high presentation and kept to a height between 25mm to 50mm in other areas. All sealed paths and edged shrub and flower beds are to be kept weed free. All other work, including tree maintenance, is undertaken to maximise visitor safety and maintain a pleasing appearance.
Neighbourhood reserves - are to be highly visible from adjoining properties and users should be able to play games like kicking a ball around. Grass is maintained to a height of 25mm to 50mm. Plants are maintained to keep reserves highly visible. Play equipment and safety surfacing are maintained to New Zealand Safety Standards. Weeds are controlled as necessary.
Open space reserves - the pleasant open space values are retained. Grass is maintained to a height between 25mm to 50mm. Trees and shrubs are maintained to retain the pleasantness of the area.
Sports grounds - are maintained to the requirements that each code demands (costs above basic open space maintenance standards are charged to the sporting bodies).
Wilderness reserves - the semi-natural environment is maintained by all necessary weed and pest control and grass is mown monthly.
Conservation reserves - maintenance focuses on conservation including management of pests and weeds and maintenance of visitor access, where provided.
Road reserves - pleasantness and visibility is maintained by planting selected roundabouts and traffic islands with colourful displays of flowering plants, and a street tree maintenance programme to ensure trees remain in good condition and do not become dangerous.

The average cost to the ratepayer per year is:

Further information is available from Keith Hindson, Recreation and Culture Manager, phone 349 0001, email Keith Hindson.

Information about all of the Council's services is available in the At Your Service booklet available from Customer Services and the District Library, and on the Services pages of this site.

The new Wanganui Recycling Drop Off Centre, which is due to open from 1 April 2004, needs a name.

The Council is calling for expressions of interest from companies or organisations interested in becoming the principal sponsor for the site and owning the naming rights.

Naming rights would ensure your company is promoted, seen and mentioned at the forefront of all signage, advertising and media coverage the centre will attract. We expect more than 100,000 visits a year to the centre - with your name on it!

Being associated with an environmental community project such as this would generate significant goodwill and exposure for your company.

If you are interested in this opportunity and want more information, contact Stuart Hylton, Wanganui District Council, phone 349 0001, or write to PO Box 637, Wanganui.

A multi-cultural Waitangi Day commemoration, organised by Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority, will be held on Friday, February 6.

The events will include art, craft and promotion stalls at the War Memorial Hall, entertainment by a range of cultural groups, skateboard competition, activities for children and food/refreshments.

January 31-February 2: Gypsy Fair
Venue: Kowhai Park

January 31: Rivercity Markets
Venue: Wanganui Racecourse. 8am-1pm.

January 31-February 1: Polocross - Kakatahi Carnival
Venue: Horrocks Park, Kaiwhaiki Road.

January 31: Turakina Caledonian Society Highland Games
Venue: Turakina Domain, Cameron Road.

January 31: Wanganui Harrier Club - Turakina Road Race (27km)
Start at St George's Anglican Church car park, Turakina. Walkers 8am, runners 9am.

January 31: Eastside Market & Crafts
Venue: Scout Hall, Duncan Street. 9am-2pm.

January 31: Impact World Tour - GX International
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Cooks Gardens. 8pm.

To February 1: DoC Summer Nature Programme
Series of guided nature tours, walks and evening lectures. Programmes available from Department of Conservation, Ingestre Street, and Visitor Information Centre, Guyton Street. Bookings at DoC office, phone 345 2402.

February 3: Whanganui Regional Museum Botanical Group
Venue: Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum. 8pm. Congress and travel experiences in Eastern China, a talk by Vonnie Cave.

February 6: Rugby - Hurricanes vs Brumbies
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Cooks Gardens. 4pm.

February 6-8: Friendship Force of NZ Conference
Venue: Wanganui Function Centre. 20th anniversary conference.

Throughout January and February:
A wide range of exhibitions at the Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui Regional Museum and other galleries.

More information about things to do in the Wanganui District is available from the i-SITE Wanganui Visitor Centre, 101 Guyton Street.

Drums needed

Wanted: Any empty 60 litre drums.

If you can help, please phone Wanganui District Council Customer Services on 349 0001.

Vacancy

Building Inspector, Environmental Services

Applications close 4pm, 20 February 2004

Municipal Office Building and District Library Services
Closed.

Refuse and Recyclables Collection
Normal refuse collection on Friday.
Recyclable items - plastic soft drink and milk bottles, aluminium cans, newspapers and cardboard should be placed at the kerbside no later than 8.00am.

Information Centre
Open 9.00am to 3.00pm.

Sarjeant Gallery
Open 1.00pm to 4.30pm.

Whanganui Regional Museum
Open 1.00pm to 4.30pm.

After hours services are listed in the telephone directory under 'Wanganui District Council'.

Unless otherwise noted meetings are held at 2.00pm in Committee Room 2, 1st Floor, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui, and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting.

The Council welcomes members of the public to attend its meetings.