Tararua District Reserves Management Plan
Parks and reserves play an invaluable role in enhancing the quality of life in our community. From small neighbourhood parks to our large domains and natural areas, these green spaces provide places for our residents to relax and play. They offer opportunities for active recreation such as walking, sports and serve as social gathering places for families and community groups.
Some also hold immense ecological value, helping to preserve the district’s biodiversity, and protect our flora and fauna.
When managed well, our parks and reserves provide a balance between nature, recreation, and community well-being.
Over the past year, we have been working to prepare a management plan for our parks and reserves. The draft Reserve Management Plan covers 82 parks and reserves across the Tararua District. The Plan will help ensure parks and reserves are protected, maintained and able to be enjoyed safely by everyone.
We want to hear your thoughts on the draft plan. The Council invites you to respond to the online survey or submit written feedback on the draft plan that you would like considered. You can view the draft plan below and provide feedback by clicking here.
Your feedback and ideas will help us finalise a combined plan for managing the Tararua District’s parks and reserves into the future.
Consultation open from 14 April to 20 June 2025
Get your copy of the consultation document to learn more about the options proposed and make sure you have everything you need to make a submission and share your views.
Check out the Draft Reserves Management Plan here
Check out Appendix 5 of the consultation document here - Reserve Park Maps
How to make a submission
- Make a submission using the online submission form (below)
- Download the fillable PDF, fill it in and email it to submissions@tararuadc.govt.nz
- Fill in a hardcopy form from one of our libraries or customer service centres and drop it in a box in person
- Fill in a hardcopy form and post it to us:
Reserve Management Plan Consultation
FreePost 69367
PO Box 115, Dannevirke 4942
Please note NZ Post delivery timeframes.
A RMP provides direction for the use and management of parks and reserves now and into the future. It sets a framework to help Council make good decisions about how parks and reserves are used and protected. This might include things like maintenance, upgrades or public access.
The RMP also outlines what needs to be considered when developing and enhancing parks in the future.
Preparing a Reserve Management Plan for reserves held under the Reserves Act 1977 is a statutory requirement.
The reserve management plan sets out the desired mix of use and protection for reserves and provides the community with certainty about the function and management of the reserves.
Council has decided to prepare a single management plan that will encompass all of our district’s parks and reserves. This has several benefits:
✓ It will be up to date and fit for purpose; and
✓ It will cover most of the district’s parks and reserves (meeting statutory requirements); and
✓ It will ensure a consistent management approach for all parks and reserves captured in this plan, across the district. Prior to this plan only two reserves had management plans.
The plan covers 82 parks and reserves across the district. There is a map booklet of parks and reserves included at the back of the draft Reserve Management Plan. The plan and map booklet is also available on the council website or by request at any council office or library.
The plan is focused on objectives, policies, and day to day management of district-wide parks and reserves. The plan covers most parks and reserves across the district but excludes:
- Land subject to Treaty Settlement
- Cemeteries
- Road Reserve
- Land managed by DOC or LINZ
- and some other Council operational land, e.g. land used for waterworks
The plan does not include action/implementation plans or future development concept designs. These will be assessed and prepared on a case-by-case basis.
The plan has been developed through the statutory consultation process for developing reserve management plans under the Reserves Act 1977 (section 41 of the Reserves Act).
The Reserves Act 1977 requires two rounds of public engagement for an RMP. The first round was open for a month (August/September 2023) and people provided their ideas and suggestions on how parks and reserves should be managed.
The main themes of feedback from the first round of engagement were:
- financial transparency and maintenance accountability
- access and protection of access points
- environmental and safety issues
- maintenance
- protection and enhancement of natural spaces
- infrastructure and safety concerns
- vandalism and community awareness
- promotion
The next step in the public notification process is a two-month feedback period on the Draft Management Plan which is open from 14 April - 20 June 2025.
You can provide feedback via this link, or download the PDF form here and email to submissions@tararuadc.govt.nz or drop off to one of our Service Centres.
Compared to preparing and maintaining individual reserve management plans, developing a combined plan encompassing all parks and reserves of the district is the most cost-effective way of fulfilling our statutory obligations under the Reserves Act 1977 and assisting with consistent and efficient management of our parks and reserves. Having one plan will mean that only one plan needs to be reviewed periodically rather than developing and reviewing individual plans for each of the District’s reserves, which is time-consuming, and costly. Having one document will also make it easier for Council staff and the public to use and understand how the Council and Community has agreed parks and reserves will be managed.
The plan will include policies and objectives that are common to all parks and reserves captured in this plan, and administered by the Council. This is to ensure a simple and consistent approach to management decisions and compliance with the Reserves Act requirements.
The plan also includes a map booklet highlighting all of the reserves captured in this plan.
Council staff developed a draft plan based on the feedback received in the first round of consultation. This draft was workshopped and approved by the Council prior to the second round of consultation. After the second round of consultation is completed, a hearing will be held where any submitters will have the opportunity to speak in support of their submissions (if submitters have requested to speak).
Council identified all land in the district that is held under the Reserves Act 1977 and managed by the Council. To find this information, the Council has done thorough checks on each individual land parcel to see whether it is held under the Reserves Act, managed by the Council and whether it has been given a purpose (classification) under the Reserves Act.
To find out this information Council staff have investigated land titles, New Zealand Gazette Notices, liaised with the Department of Conservation and obtained specialist advice from property professionals.
Once adopted, the new reserve management plan will replace existing reserve management plans.
As part of developing the new reserve management plan, all existing management plans have been reviewed in accordance with the Reserves Act 1977. Outcomes from the review have informed the new draft reserves management plan.
The RMP provides policy guidance and a framework for the management of activities on reserves. It is an agreement between Council and the community regarding how Council will manage reserves managed by Council).
The intention is that current day to day activities, if compatible with the purpose (classification) of the reserve, will be able to continue as they are.
Some of the activities might be formalised as occupancy agreements, such as leases or licences to occupy, other activities like walking or jogging can just happen as of right.
Where a reserve is currently used for a particular purpose, or managed by a committee or Domain Board, we sought feedback on what activities are currently provided for. We did this to ensure, where appropriate, the activities are provided for in the RMP.
The general policies that apply to all parks and reserves (within this plan) cover the range of issues that commonly arise across the reserve network.
There was a lack of feedback specific to individual reserves received in the first round of consultation, therefore no specific policies have been developed for individual reserves. However, the plan has been written in a way that allows the council to easily add site-specific policies and information to the plan in the future. Any variation like this would be formally notified so the public have an opportunity to submit on any new policies for specific areas.
The Council as the administering body of all the parks and reserves covered by the draft plan has the statutory authority to approve and adopt the Reserve Management Plan. The Council has indicated that more than likely, any submissions on the draft plan (engagement round 2) will be heard by a panel of Councillors (the hearing panel). After the hearing, the panel will provide recommendations to the full Council who can approve the final plan.
This plan doesn't include an action plan or list of projects that impact rates. Funding required for projects on reserves is sought through Council’s annual plan or Long-term Plan processes.
The engagement processes for the RMP are about identifying community values, risks, issues, threats, opportunities, and strengths for reserves. The information and ideas we gather during our community engagement have helped us to draft the new management plan.
The RMP and District Plan are statutory documents prepared under two different legislations. The RMP is prepared under the Reserves Act 1977; the District Plan is prepared under the Resource Management Act 1991. The RMP outlines how Council will manage the reserve land it administers. Council can only apply the rules in an RMP to itself.
The rules and regulations in a District Plan apply to all land in the district and apply to public and private land. District plan policies and zoning rules regulate land use and manage the effects of development to ensure sustainable development and environmental protection. Ideally reserve management plans would be used to inform the development of the District Plans.
Most policies within the management plan in one way or another address the diverse needs of the community. Some of these include: park furniture and amenities (e.g. signage, track and paths, toilets), events, sports and recreation activities, trees and vegetation accessibility, cultural values and multi-use spaces.
There is a policy within the reserve management plan that specifically addresses access, and accessibility is referenced in many other policies within the plan, especially in the development section. It is best practise to ensure access is considered when developing and renewing spaces and places and this has been reflected within the plan.