Mangawhai Park comes of age with new governance

 

A new governance structure has been established for Mangawhai Community Park, recognising the new level of maturity in the park’s development.

Located in Mangawhai Heads, the park provides activities and spaces for the community to enjoy the natural environment. The previous governance committee has been overseeing the park since the Mangawhai Community Park Masterplan was established.

Over the years, the number of groups operating out of the park, and the number of users, has increased significantly and work in the park has become more complex.

Now, with a new council, the time is right to consider how the park would best be governed in the future. Deputy mayor Anna Curnow says the new governance structure needs to address issues that come up consistently and professionally and involve all user groups of the park equally.

“A staff member will liaise with each group that occupies the park, and with the Friends of Mangawhai Community Park Committee to understand their goals and their goals for the park overall.

There’ll be a more structured annual consultation to gather input for the governance committee’s annual plan and budget.” The governance committee structure will be similar to other committees throughout Kaipara. The deputy mayor will take on the role of chair and will bring both a district-wide and a local view.

A representative from Te Uri o Hau will bring an iwi perspective and the chair of the Friends of Mangawhai Community Park will continue on the new governance committee. Council members from the West Coast and Dargaville wards will reflect the district-wide views while a member from the Kaiwaka-Mangawhai ward will ensure local priorities are considered.

The committee will be rounded out by a professional design and development expert. “The Mangawhai community is growing very fast. Making the best of the Mangawhai Community Park, right in the heart of Mangawhai, meets the need for making places with high-quality recreational facilities where people can have fun.” The council will be working with all parts of the community to design and develop facilities that achieve that goal.