East Harbour a top attraction

East Harbour Regional Park is proving to be a popular regional destination with visits topping 170,000 in the past year according to Greater Wellington’s recently released Regional Parks Annual Report for 2008/09.

It’s the first year that visits have been counted for the park, which sits between Eastbourne and Wainuiomata and boasts nationally significant wetlands and some of the best beech/rata forest in region. The numbers show that it’s the second most visited regional park after Kapiti’s Queen Elizabeth Park, bringing overall visits for Greater Wellington’s parks and forests network over the past year to just under one million.

“People are beginning to realise just what an asset these parks are. They offer an almost limitless range of opportunities to get fit, stay healthy, enjoy the outdoors, help restore natural ecosystems and have a good time,” says Cr Chris Laidlaw, Chair of the Regional Sustainability Committee. “We want to get the message out that they are a wonderful community asset – and they’re free!”

The fairly average summer weather meant that overall numbers across the network (excluding East Harbour Regional Park) didn’t reach the record-breaking numbers of 2008, but the numbers were higher than those of 2007. Events in regional parks continue to be popular with Greater Wellington’s summer Regional Outdoors Programme recording its highest numbers ever with over 15,500 people – 1,700 more than last year.

The Regional Parks Annual Report also covers key issues and achievements for each of Greater Wellington’s parks and forests as well as highlighting achievements for the entire network such as the introduction of new concessions guidelines, which make it easier for small, non-commercial events and activities to take place. On the downside, vandalism and security continue to be a nuisance, requiring a lot of ranger time to be resolved.

Copies of the Regional Parks Annual Report are available at libraries throughout the region. You can also view the report on Greater Wellington’s website: www.gw.govt.nz/plans