Napier mayoral column: Kirsten Wise talks about Napier’s beautiful green spaces

Napier mayor Kirsten Wise. Photo / NZME

Opinion:

Napier has wonderful parks, reserves and playgrounds. Within walking distance of most homes, there’s a greenspace and people take great ownership of their neighbourhood park.

It becomes an extension of their home with regular trips to the swings or walks with the dog, or just a tranquil place to sit and contemplate the world going by. It’s something to take pride in whether it’s a suburban playground or one of the larger parks or even one of the walkways that traverse the hills.

Greenspaces are an important part of the work of councils. They encourage recreation and physical activity, they provide a place for social interaction, they help improve wellbeing and mental health, they increase property values and they attract visitors and new residents, they foster pride and community identity.

We’ve recently completed a project to upgrade the playground at Westshore. It’s a popular spot and it’s benefitted from a bit of a facelift. It’s a site on a beach reserve that has great sea views so it’s perfect for a picnic.

As well as being something locals can take pride in, it’s an attractive destination for visitors from other neighbourhoods too. Families like to make a day of their trip to Westshore, so there are amenities that support a longer stay such as gull-proof bins, seating and shade sails.

The Westshore Playground is also a great example of how a greenspace can respond to other community activities happening in the same area.

The Westshore Surf Lifesaving Club and Westshore School are close by so the playground incorporates multi-age equipment that caters to the wants and needs of a range of ages.

A flying fox is one of the special features of the new-look playground. It also has a basket swing, in-ground trampoline and sand pit. The popular and much-loved carousel has had a well-deserved makeover.

Playgrounds and parks are important to people because they are a shared asset on common ground, and they go straight to the hearts of the community they serve. There is a nostalgia for our shared greenspaces.

How many of us remember fondly the parks we played in as children?

Investment in those greenspaces is also an investment in our future because done right they can continue to serve our community for a long time, helping make memories for our young people.