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Grant a boost for youth zone and water-play at Waitara park

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PUBLISHED: 14 NOV 2023
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A youth zone and water-play area at a revamped Otupaiia Marine Park in Waitara has received a $950,000 boost from the Taranaki Electricity Trust (TET).

 

The grant will enable NPDC and Te Kōwhatu tū Moana Trust, which owns the land, to develop a youth zone and water-play area – key features of the redevelopment.

 

“We’re really grateful that TET has seen the value in providing these activity areas for our young people in Waitara. We want the revamped Otupaiia to be a great place for meeting up, playing, and connecting with others for generations to come,” says NPDC Manager Strategic Planning, Renee Davies.

 

The youth zone includes a sand volleyball court, an acrylic court for basketball and other games, a shade structure, outdoor table tennis tables, water fountains, seating and planting. The water play zone is themed around fishing and the Waitara River and enables children to interact with and manipulate water while learning about the physics of water and the river. 

 

The revamp has previously received a $900,000 grant from Toi Foundation plus support from additional corporate funders, which will enable further developments over the coming year.

 

NPDC and Te Kōwhatu tū Moana Trust worked with the community to establish a wish-list of developments at the park. Work on stage one, funded by Te Ara Whakamua O Whaitara, is underway with new public barbecues, picnic tables and shelters being installed. These will be ready for community use by Christmas.

 

NPDC is funding a skate park as part of the stage two development and is working on the design with local young people. The funding for this work is from the $1m allocated to the Marine Park project through the Government’s Three Waters Better Off funding programme.

 

Fast facts:

  • The redevelopment of Otupaiia Marine Park is the first of its kind under the co-management relationship between NPDC and Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana, which received assets and rights under the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Act.
  • NPDC looks after 1,600ha of park and reserve land, 14 playing courts and eight skateparks.
  • In September 2022 the Mayor and Councillors agreed on the projects to be supported by the first tranche of Three Waters Better Off Funding allocated to NPDC.

 

Caption: Concept drawing of the waterplay area planned for Otupaiia Marine Park, enabled with a grant from Taranaki Electricity Trust (TET).

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Page last updated: 11:04am Tue 14 November 2023

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