Award Winning Sites

Parks Forum is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Green Flag Award in Australia and New Zealand. Overall the quality of the parks assessed in 2012/13 was outstanding.

Twelve Australasian parks have received the international Green flag Award for 2012/13. Each of the parks were assessed against a number of criteria and received accolades for their standard of safety, welcoming facilities, excellent management of the environment and historical features, as well as being great places to play and recreate. They were also judged for their sustainability practices and high standards of overall management.

Urban parks, gardens and nature reserves to receive the Green Flag Award are listed below. For more information on each of the sites please click on their corresponding link.

Leading Practices for Green Flag Award Parks and Green Spaces
During judging of the Green Flag Award a number of leading practices, innovations or unique experiences/activities across the eight different criteria were witnessed at the participating parks and green spaces. The information below provides examples of their uniqueness, leading practice or innovation observed by the judges.

Parks Forum encourages you to contact us if you would like to know more about the Award winning parks and their managing agencies.

Ambury Regional Park

Ambury Regional Park is a working farm close to urban Auckland that preserves rural landscapes and provides farm education programmes for school children. The park offers expansive vistas of the Manukau Heads and Mangere Mountain, and contains unique geological features, such as lava caves, Maori stonefields and European stonewalls.

Centennial Parklands

Centennial Parklands is one of Australia’s leading public parklands and holds a distinctive and special place in Australian history, culture and modern day life. Encompassing Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park, the Parklands covers 360 hectares and receives an estimated 11 million visits a year.

Fitzroy Gardens

Fitzroy Gardens – with its tree-lined avenues and broad array of horticultural and built features – is the garden that people most readily identify as “Melbourne”. It is the City of Melbourne’s premier garden. Popular features in the Gardens include the Conservatory, the Fairies’ Tree and Cooks’ Cottage.

Hamilton Gardens

This park on the banks of the Waikato River has already become the region’s most popular visitor destination attracting about one million visits annually. Tourism NZ figures suggest it is the urban park most frequently visited by New Zealanders travelling outside their region and there appears to be a growing international recognition.

Hyde Park

The State Heritage listed Hyde Park is Australia’s oldest park. The 16ha park contains the ANZAC Memorial Building, various monuments, public art and themed gardens. The park hosts about 580 trees and diverse horticultural plantings, including annual and perennial garden beds.

Karangahake Gorge

The Karangahake Gorge, located in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park is packed with rich history and natural beauty. It is a place where people can learn about the historic heritage of the region and offers a range of family friendly visitor opportunities.

Kings Parks and Botanic Garden

Kings Park and Botanic Garden is the single most visited place in Western Australia. It holds a very special place in the hearts of Western Australians and the social, historical, environmental and cultural fabric of the State.

Parihaka Scenic Reserve

Parihaka and the Hatea river reserves provide a 389 hectare natural, cultural and recreational backdrop to Whangarei City. Once a stronghold of thousands of people, now a forest clad mountain the reserves are steeped in history and now provide for urban users, walkers and more adventurous mountain-bikers.

Phillip Island Nature Parks

Phillip Island Nature Parks is the home of Australia’s most popular natural wildlife attraction – the iconic Penguin Parade, along with the Koala Conservation Centre, Churchill Island and Nobbies Centre.

Redwoods / Tokorangi

Rotorua’s Tokorangi Forest, more commonly referred to as ‘The Redwoods,’ is 280 hectares of exotic forest adjoining the greater Whakarewarewa Forest. Originally planted as a trial nursery in the early 1900s it has developed over time into a popular outdoor attraction and recreational haven for the local community and visitors.

Tapapakanga Regional Park

Tapapakanga Regional Park provides the ultimate Tikapa Moana (Firth of Thames) experience. The 174 hectares of park land contains a wide range of landscapes and settings, from coastal forest to farmland to beautiful sand and cobble beaches.

Timber Trail - Pureora-Ongarue

The Timber Trail is a newly created recreation opportunity in the Pureora Forest Park. The trail and associated stories contrast the beauty of nature with the area’s logging history in a package that will appeal to young and old alike.

Programs

Award Winning Sites

Parks Forum is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Green Flag Award in Australia and New Zealand. Overall the quality of the parks assessed in 2012/13 was outstanding.