Kāpiti Lifestyle – Greater Wellington Parks Portfolio leader Prue Lamason.
More barbeques, picnic facilities, food trucks, shelters, bird hides, new trails and much more are proposals earmarked for QEP to increase recreational opportunities for the growing numbers of visitors to the park.
The enhancements are being proposed by Greater Wellington in consultation on its draft Toitu Te Whenua Parks Network Plan 2020-30, the blueprint for the development of regional parks over the next decade.
“Getting more opportunities for recreation into our regional parks is a key goal of our new parks plan, and that certainly applies to QEP, which already offers heaps of options,” says Greater Wellington Councillor and parks Portfolio holder Cr Prue Lamason.
“Our investment in regional parks is an investment in the health of people throughout the region. It’s designed to get them into the outdoors through providing a variety of activities of interest to very different groups of people.
“It’s not just about trails for hardened trampers. We want to promote access to a wider range of people so emphasis is also being placed on bringing in more facilities and enriching experiences through story telling that will delve into the history of our parks and their unique environmental and cultural characteristics.”
Among the many recreation proposals on which Greater Wellington is seeking comment are:
-Improvements to the Paekakāriki picnic area, including BBQs and shelters, nature play and Camp Paēkakāriki storytelling.
-Development of a northern park community hub and picnic facilities at the Raumati South picnic area, reusing park buildings and making connections to progressively restored peat wetlands with circuit trails
-Enhancement of the Whareroa Road beach picnic area with all-year facilities such as nature and adventure play, music event -Improve experiences for heritage hunters through implementing a QEP heritage plan for Camp Russell military heritage at Mackay’s Crossing, Tramway Museum and Kāpiti Stables.
-Explore options for co-location and improvement of equestrian facilities for all groups to boost the park as a casual riding and equestrian sports destination.
-Enhance the park as an easy cycling destination accessible by public transport, incorporating options such as skills and pump tracks, other trail facilities, more circuit trails and link improvements to Whareroa.
“Comments can be made on these and the many other proposals for these parks, which are in the Draft Toitu Te Whenua Parks Network Plan 2020-30 at https://haveyoursay.gw.govt.nz/parksplan ” says Cr Lamason.