Green Flag Award for Te Puke’s Jubilee Park

Western Bay of Plenty has strengthened its reputation for high-quality green spaces, with Te Puke’s Jubilee Park achieving Green Flag Award® status for the first time.

Jubilee Park joins long-standing winners TECT All Terrain Park and Huharua Park, which are cared for collaboratively by Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council, and received awards for the eleventh and fourth time, consecutively.

These awards recognise not only the parks' natural beauty, but their proven excellence in planning, environmental stewardship, accessibility, and community manaaki.

“This award continues to highlight the exceptional standards across Aotearoa’s parks, recognising those who care for and maintain these vital community spaces,” says Kieran Smith, Parks, Play, and Open Spaces Manager at Recreation Aotearoa.

“Parks are at the heart of our communities, places for connection, relaxation, play, and learning. What makes the Green Flag Award® so valuable is how applicants use it: to demonstrate their success, gain fresh and constructive feedback, and share knowledge with industry experts. It’s a powerful tool that supports continuous improvement and showcases the outstanding work happening in parks across the motu.”

Peter Watson, Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Reserves and Facilities Manager, says the awards speak to the care, investment and local pride that have shaped these spaces.

“Jubilee Park’s first Green Flag is a huge milestone for Te Puke. As a flagship park in the town centre, it’s a place people connect with every day, so having it recognised at a national level is really special,” he says.

“We’re equally proud to see TECT Park and Huharua Park maintain their Green Park status for the eleventh and fourth years in a row.

“Having three Green Flag parks in the Western Bay shows the strength of our District’s open spaces and the passion that goes into looking after them.”