Park plan backed by $500,000

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has backed Te Mata Park's 10-year management plan to the tune of $500,000.

The park's trust board yesterday presented their plan to the council's environment services committee and it voted unanimously to support the trust and the work it does.

This money, if council votes to grant it at its next general meeting, exhausts the authority's regional facilities fund, which has been used to fund such assets as the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park and the MTG in Napier.

Te Mata Park Trust Board chairman Bruno Chambers, whose family donated the park to the region in 1927, said while they were always hopeful, it was really pleasing to have the unanimous support from council.

"They have been supportive all the way through."

Mr Chambers said under the plan they hoped to enhance the user experience and not diminish anything aesthetically.

"This is truly a regional asset. It is identified as number one on Trip Advisor and various other websites as the number one activity to do in Hawke's Bay and we firmly believe that it requires support from all the region's councils," he said.

To get to this point, the trust undertook extensive public consultations, including a survey form which they received 661 responses.

"One of the overwhelming responses from the public and the feedback process was that they didn't want Te Mata to change," Mr Chambers said. "They loved it the way it was."

He said that is the challenge that lies before the trust now - managing the increased usage and expectation while increasing the park's accessibility, both of which have increased extensively.

"We need to make sure we do that in a way that is sensitive and particular to the peak," he said.

"To that effect we have come up with some significant design changes for the entrance involving toilets and extra carparking and picnic areas. A summit makeover is planned as well."

While he was grateful to the regional council, he said this was "just the first step", and the trust still had to approach Hastings and Napier councils for financial support.