In February this year, the New Zealand Recreation Association (Recreation Aotearoa) Board and the Parks Agency Manager's Group -Small Governance Group (PAMG SGG) met to determine the nature of their future strategic working relationship.

Recreation Aotearoa was established in 1992 as a charitable organisation with a national Board, a Regional Advisory Group and 6 Regional Committees. The PAMG was founded in 2015 as a Special Interest Group under Recreation Aotearoa, using IP from the Australasian based Parks Forum. In March 2018 the PAMG confirmed that it would move its administrative support services from Recreation Aotearoa to the NZ Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM). A newly established "small governance group" (SGG) would guide this process, and oversee direction of PAMG's operation and future state including its legal status.

Both entities aim to build capability and networks within the parks sector and raise awareness of best practice. PAMG aims to focus on managers and leadership in the parks sector whereas Recreation Aotearoa has a broader brief and focuses on all those working in the sector whether they be managers or staff.

Both parties recognised that the PAMG SGG is still working through a development phase and needs more time to progress its strategy and structure. All agreed several joint high- level principles on the future working relationship, which are to:

• Confirm that the Parks industry remains our first priority;
• Work collaboratively and proceed with openness and optimism and
• Establish a constructive partnership for the future, which could be detailed in a more formal document such as an MOU.

Recreation Aotearoa and the PAMG SGG will continue to keep you updated on progress and look forward to working constructively and positively together for the benefit of its members and stakeholders across the parks sector.