Parks and walkways a big contribution to quality life in New Plymouth

The NRB survey found 94 percent of people were satisfied with the quality of New Plymouth District Council's award-winning Coastal Walkway.

A survey has revealed a big contributor to a quality life in the New Plymouth district are parks and walkways.

The majority of New Plymouth District residents are happy with NPDC's parks, green spaces and the Coastal Walkway, according to an independent survey by the National Research Bureau (NRB).

The phone survey of more than 400 residents found 94 per cent were very or fairly satisfied with the quality of parks and reserves, including Pukekura Park .

It also showed 94 per cent were also happy with how easy it is to access the district's natural environment.

That satisfaction contributed to 76 per cent of residents saying the quality of life in the district was very good, well above the national average of 40 per cent.

The District also scored well on financial management, with 84 per cent of respondents either fairly satisfied or very satisfied with how rates were being invested.

"Our vision is to Build a Lifestyle Capital and this independent data shows we are on the right track to achieving that. Investment in our parks and great community facilities like the Coastal Walkway has been money invested wisely as they are a big part of so many people's daily lives," says New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom.

Other key findings of the survey include:
89 per cent of residents were satisfied with the district's urban landscapes and streets.
88 per cent of people who contacted NPDC in the last year were satisfied the help they received.
90 per cent are very or fairly satisfied with Puke Ariki's Museum.
78 per cent were happy with the quality of the district's roads.
84 per cent were happy with the Todd Energy Aquatic Centre and the community pools.

Meanwhile Stats NZ's Wellbeing Statistics for 2018 show Taranaki had the highest mean overall rating for life satisfaction compared to other regions.

The data also revealed the province had the highest rating for people feeling safe in their neighbourhood and the highest rating for residents having enough money to meet everyday needs.