News

A record crowd gathered in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland tonight for the annual Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards, a celebration of the people, places, and spaces shaping Aotearoa New Zealand’s recreation sector.

Tauranga is proving itself a leader in parks and recreation, taking home multiple honours at the Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards held tonight in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Wellington City Council’s River Foster has been crowned the 2025 Young Amenity Horticulturist of the Year. The winner was announced at the Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards in Tāmaki Makaurau tonight, following the competition at Auckland Botanic Gardens on Monday.

Recreation Aotearoa and Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) have officially renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reaffirming their commitment to Trans-Tasman collaboration in the parks, recreation, and leisure sectors.

Our communities are increasingly diverse. Increasingly aging, NEW New Zealanders, and those experiencing financial hard ship all have unique needs and require different planning and provision.

But how are we changing? And what is the impact on recreation and sport?

We’re proud to announce the Finalists for the Parks Awards 2025 and the Young Amenity Horticulturalist of the Year 2025.

New Outdoors Accessibility Design Guidelines have been launched to improve access to outdoor recreation spaces for people with impairments and accessibility needs. Developed by Recreation Aotearoa in collaboration with an Outdoors Accessibility Working Group—a team of industry professionals and accessibility experts, including people with lived experience of disability—these guidelines are the ...

Our members are at the heart of Recreation Aotearoa, and we want to ensure our work reflects your priorities and needs. That’s why we’re inviting you to take part in our Recreation Aotearoa Member Survey.

We're excited to launch our latest Good Practice Guide to help outdoor centres, instructors, and leaders create inclusive spaces for Muslim women and girls.

Parks Week celebrates the vital role parks play in creating liveable cities and thriving communities. From 3 - 10 March, hundreds of organisations across Aotearoa and Australia will host community events and activations. Get involved by running your own Parks Week event.