Porirua’s Whenua Tapu Cemetery has achieved Green Flag accreditation for the fourth consecutive year, highlighting its exceptional standards and welcoming environment. The award, granted by Recreation Aotearoa, recognises green spaces that excel in management, safety, and sustainability.
Porirua Parks & City Services manager Julian Emeny expresses pride in this accomplishment. “It’s a credit to the work our cemeteries manager Daniel Chrisp and his team do. We know how important Whenua Tapu is to our community and to visitors from outside Porirua, who come to visit their loved ones. Our staff don’t come to work for awards, but they see the Green Flag status as a badge of honour for the love and attention they give this important part of our city,” says Emeny.
The accreditation follows unannounced inspections by judges specialising in recreation and green space management. Emeny adds that efforts are ongoing to maintain and improve the site, with a modern management plan in development by the council.
Recent upgrades to Whenua Tapu include a refurbished chapel and crematorium, which reopened in 2021, and the establishment of a new Children’s Area in 2023. “Whenua Tapu is a beautiful place, and people are seeing the benefit of combining excellent day-to-day mahi with a vision for the future,” Emeny notes.
Green Flag status places Whenua Tapu among top-tier green spaces in New Zealand, alongside winners like Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, Pukekura Park in New Plymouth, Cornwall Park in Hastings, and Waimate Cemetery.