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Regional Parks

FORP PRESENTATION

JULY 2026

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Regional Parks - 101

28 Regional Parks on 45,000 Ha
57,000 Annual Volunteer Hours (24/25)
97% 0f Visitors are satisfied with the quality of their experience
2 Fenced & 3 Mainland Island Sanctuaries
465km of tracks open across the network
Muriwai is our busiest park with 1.54million visitors per year.
Workforce of 111 fulltime staff

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Regional Parks Provide………

Dedicated Ranger Service
Outdoor Recreation Experiences
Camping & Bach Escapes
Farming Experience
Environmental Outcomes
Fantastic Places to Visit…………

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Change Process

Following a review of how we operate, RP undertook a Change process in Oct 2025.

The review was focused on the future of Regional Parks and the Parks Service

Why did we undertake a review?

Steady increase in park visitation

To address new work such as NETR delivery

Alignment of Team Structure to support the directional change

Staff feedback

Clarity of core functions

Clearer Pathways

Sustainable workload

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Outcomes & Benefits of the Change

Improve coordination and strengthen frontline support.
Target resources toward our priority areas of visitor experience and natural environment outcomes.
Enabling functions such as volunteering, education, partnerships, asset management, and farming continue to support the delivery of our core mahi.
Provide greater consistency and efficiency across the network while retaining strong place-based connections.
Focus on the delivering a high quality service

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Implementing Change

Structure went live 1 Feb 2026
Formation of a dedicated Environment Team who would coordinate the delivery of outcomes
A focus on improvements through an Regional Operational Support role and a Regional Advisor
Park Operations – remained place based and lead by the three Principal Rangers – Trent, Dave & Jason

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Regional Parks Structure

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Regional Parks Leadership Team - Priorities

Embedding Change – made some good progress but there is still a lot of work to do.

Recruitment

Roles and Responsibilities

Focusing on high value work and improving the way we work.

Work Program – clear plans and priorities and what makes a difference.

Focus on Team – establish a strong lead team, focus on training & development, wellbeing and workload, supporting each other.

Roster Review – ensuring we are delivering the service required when its needed.

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Farming

Mozz Trueman – Farming Manager

Phoebe Steele – Farming Operations Manager (North)

Viv Young – Farming Operations Manager (South)��

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Regional Parks Farming Team

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Farming in Regional Parks

Largest Urban farmers in the region
Dedicated Farming team
Farming nearly 1430ha, across 20 regional parks
Stock Classes – sheep, beef and Alpacas (5)
Total Stock Numbers - 6000 sheep, 500 cattle, 6 Llamas

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Farming…Our Focus

Strengthening our connections with iwi, hapu and stakeholders
Developing our knowledge and skills through industry connections
Sustainable farming operations - Low methane producing sheep

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Environment Team �REGIONAL PARKS ��

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Regional Parks Environment Team

Region wide delivery
Three portfolio's
13 staff

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Our Portfolio's

Small Mammals

Ecological Weeds

Feral Pigs

NETR

Restoration & Amenity

Planting

Tree management

Research permits

Sanctuaries

Sanctuaries management and support

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Restoration and Amenity Portfolio – focus areas

Revegetation

Tree management- incl view shafts, dangerous, shade, specimen, & woodlots

Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage, Heritage Gardens

Amenity, open space, & turf management

Coastal dunes restoration & protection

Threatened Flora

Discretionary environmental park permits

Regional Park Nursery Management

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NETR – Natural Environment Targeted Rate - annual budget of $7M

Small mammal control (rats, mustelids, cats)– baiting and trapping project delivered by contractors, rangers, park volunteers

Ecological weeds – pest plant management delivered by contractors and rangers

Feral Pig control – Hunua, Waitakere, Atiu and Te Arai

Over 35,000ha

Protection and restoration of BFA's

Directed by RPMP and AC Biodiversity strategy

Rabbit control – shooting fumigation, pindone ops

Landscape scale project i.e Hunua aerial pest control

Managing pest control data - RURU, Feildmaps, TrapNZ

Monitoring and auditing – pest control outcomes

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Sanctuaries portfolio – Five priority sites

Ark in the Park

Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa

Managing fenced & unfenced sanctuaries

Kokako Management Area

Te Ngaherehere o Kohukohunui

Pest control - weeds, small mammals

Tāwharanui & Shakespear

Northern Regional Parks

Threatened species management e.g. Kiwi, Kokako, Hihi, Weta punga, skinks and geckos

Glenfern

Aotea

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Arataki Focus

��Laura Peters – Arataki Team Leader

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Arataki Visitor Centre

Seek new community partnerships with local creatives and stakeholders

Continue to develop our education offering to ECE's and Schools

Collaborate with

Te Kawerau ā Maki in Pou booklet creation and concessionaire business

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Parks Operations Overview & Focus

Jason Maguiness – North

Dave Markham – West

Trent Taylor – South

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Team and People

Connections and working together regionally

Clarifying our roles and responsibilities

Supporting Kaimahi to achieve and develop

Embedding Change

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Great Mahi!

Focus on Operational Planning

Specific Projects include….

Muriwai Development and the management of vehicles on Beaches
New Parks Development- Te Arai, Ambury Development
Arataki Depot & Nursery Upgrade
Recreation Plans – Waitakere, Hunua & Waitawa

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Focus on Strengthening Partnerships

Mana whenua engagement

Te Kawerau a Maki – recreation plan and forum

Southern Mana whenua Forum – Te Ngaherehere o Kohukohuni

Community Engagement

Coastguard – Little Huia

Volunteer Management 57,000 hrs

Local Board Engagement