NZRA and PLA combine to revive Parks Week

The New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) and Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) are teaming up to revive and organise Parks Week events in 2016.

Formerly staged by the now defunct Parks Forum, some Parks Week events were staged in 2015 with agencies in Australia including the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service, National Parks South Australia, and the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife along with the Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council in New Zealand, offering a range of predominantly free events to the public.

To be staged from 5th to 13th March next year, a PLA communication advises “promoting the many benefits our parks and open spaces provide, Parks Week will see councils and other organisations on both sides of the Tasman running events to raise awareness of the value of parks and open spaces and to get people out of their living rooms and enjoying the outdoors.”

The Parks Forum, the peak body representing major park management agencies in Australia and New Zealand, ceased operations in November 2014 apparently due to a precarious financial situation and a failure to secure funding for research into projects on the benefits of public parks.

In the year since its failure none of the organisations or individuals involved with Parks Forum have provided substantive advice on the failure. 

A dedicated website, www.parks-week.org has been started to present and promote Parks Week events.

9th March 2015 - PARKS WEEK 2015 SET TO HIGHLIGHT VALUABLE ROLE OF OPEN SPACE

13th November 2014 - PARKS FORUM CEASES OPERATIONS

28th February 2014 - PARKS WEEK 2014 SET TO CONNECT COMMUNITIES WITH NATURE

29th November 2013 - NSW GOVERNMENT REPORT FINDS STATEWIDE LOSS OF PARKS AND PUBLIC OPEN SPACE