Park Board

Greater Wellington Regional Council

Park Board

http://www.gw.govt.nz/park-board

Parks and recreation » Whitireia Park » Park Board

Whitireia Park is administered by the Whitireia Park Board as a recreation reserve, allowing for walking, swimming and quiet enjoyment of the coast rather than major development.

The park was set up by land acquisition from the Otaki and Porirua Trust Board and the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand with the generous co-operation of the Raukawa Trustees and the Ngati Toa people. A substantial donation by Smith and Smith Ltd, celebrating their centenary in 1975, enabled the purchase and development of the park to proceed, and it was established in 1976.

Since then Trust Porirua has contributed funding for track upgrades, and the Defence Force has removed abandoned motor vehicle bodies from the park.

Radio New Zealand controls 53 hectares of the park for its radio station there. The station was established in 1936. Its main mast is 220 metres high. Radio New Zealand leases part of its land to the park board which in turn leases much of the park for grazing, to keep the land in pasture and reduce the fire risk.

New Park Board established

In February 2011 the outgoing Board chairman Alan McKenzie signed a letter of agreement with Greater Wellington Regional Council (GW), for GW to take over administration of the park, effective from 1 March 2011.

The Minister of Conservation appointed new Board members, effective from 1 April 2011 for a three year term. These people are nominees from GW and Ngati Toa.

Ngati Toa: Manu Katene, Reina Solomon, Taku Parai,

GW: Jenny Brash, Barbara Donaldson, and Nigel Wilson.

The Board by virtue of its control and management appointment under section 30 of the Reserves Act 1977, holds a consent role for a number of actions under the Reserves Act 1977.

GW provides administrative services to the Board

The GW Park Ranger, Simon Griffin has been appointed to undertake maintenance, implement work programmes, and carry out any enforcement matters on behalf of the Board.

Please contact Simon with any questions about day to day management of Whitireia Park.