Council is delighted to announce that the Gisborne Botanical Gardens have been awarded the prestigious international Green Flag Award, for the second year running.

The Green Flag Award is the international mark of a quality park or green space, judged by industry experts across 27 criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, community involvement, accessibility and providing a warm welcome.

This year 24 parks in New Zealand have been awarded a Green Flag.

“It is pretty special to achieve this award again,” said De-Arne Sutherland, Council’s liveable spaces manager.

“The first time we applied we knew when we would be assessed by the park experts, but this year it was a ‘mystery shopper’ style assessment, so it feels even more rewarding that the park meets the standard on any given day.

“We did get some good feedback on one or two areas to focus on too, which is really constructive. We are incredibly proud of the team at the Botanical Gardens who have worked hard to make this a reality in partnership with Gisborne Sister Cities Committee, Friends of the Botanical Gardens, Rotary Club of Gisborne, Gisborne Bird Club and our contractor Recreational Services. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with our local community and visitors.”

The Green Flag Award scheme was launched in 1997 and is managed in England by Keep Britain Tidy. This year’s results mark a record breaking 2,221 Green Flag Award winners worldwide. Flags fly in sites across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the USA, United Arab Emirates, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s fantastic to see so many of our parks investing time into creating spaces where our communities can connect and find joy,” said Recreation Aotearoa Parks and Open Spaces Manager, Annette Richards.

“It is significant for us to be able to recognise these parks with this award. But it’s about so much more than winning an award. It’s about embarking on a journey with all the people that make providing quality horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, access, community involvement and a warm welcome for our visitors and locals possible.”

To learn more about the Green Flag Award programme, you can visit their website: www.greenflagaward.org

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