Community grabs chunk of land for new park, writes Joanna Davies
Oratia Domain is tucked beside the suburb's community hall.
It's small, and there's not much space to play.
For years, the community has wanted a bigger place with more elbow room for outdoor activities.
The closest is Parr's Park, 1km away down a busy road. Parr's Park used to be the area's community park, but the space has been designated as a citywide park and taken over by organised sports such as soccer.
Residents have never stopped want ing somewhere closer to home for casual exercise and fun. In the next year, their wish will be fulfilled.
Waitakere City Council has bought 0.3ha of vacant land next to the com munity hall for a park. The small Oratia Hall Domain will be enlarged, and plans for development are in the works.
Hall coordinator Debbie Hall says local people will find lots of uses for the green space.
``The school is across the road and the hall is very busy with the markets and other bookings. We really need some more car parking space because the hall holds 180 people, and a bit of the land could be used for that,' she says.
The small domain is not big enough.
``We've been asking for a park for a long time. It's not a huge space, but there's plenty of room for dads to come down and kick a ball around with their kids.'
While designs haven't been drawn up, the park could include play equipment, more parking and even some of the original fruit trees transplanted from orchards that have now closed.
Oratia Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Neil Allport is pleased the council has finally made provision for the community. ``People do go to Parr's Park, but it will be good to have somewhere that we can walk to that's closer to where we live.
``All of the orchards out here are disappearing, and it will be great to plant some fruit trees in the park, because they are what the area was known for.'
Waitakere City Council spokeswoman Sonya Leahy says the council had been looking at expanding the Oratia domain since 2006.
``Plans for how the park may be developed will be drawn up over the coming year in consultation with the local community,' she says. ``The area will be mown and fenced so that the local community can enjoy the new open space area.' joanna.davies@theaucklander.co.nz
14 05 2009
More space to play for Oratia
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