Location: Aotea, Porirua, Wellington
Timeframe: 2019 - March 2021
Cost: $260,000

Te Ao - The context

Aotea is a relatively new suburb and is still in the development phase. New people are often moving into the area and few have been there for very long. Part of the development agreement between Carrus and Porirua City Council included a Reserves Agreement which allowed Carrus to vest land in Council and for improvement to be completed on this land. The purpose of the reserve was for an informal sports field/kickaround area and playground, and this was funded by development contributions.

Mauri - What created the spark

Porirua City Council saw the ‘blank canvas’ as a great opportunity to support the local young people to connect and be active. The space was prioritised for rangatahi (rather than tamariki) because they are often overlooked when it comes to outdoor recreation spaces and there was a gap in spaces that specifically catered to their needs and wants. As a key outcome of the Council’s Strategic Framework was to ‘listen to young people’s voices and involve them in decisions that affect them’, it seemed a logical step to incorporate the voice of young people directly into the design. To do this, Porirua City Council partnered with Partners Porirua, an organisation that connects rangatahi with local businesses.

Hononga - The organisations that made it happen

• Youth engagement: Rachel Scott, Partners Porirua
• Design: Bruno Gilmour, (ex WSP Opus, now Boffa Miskell)
• Construction: Think Turf
• Construction Management and Consultancy services: Mark Hammond, Porirua City Council, Bruno Gilmour, (ex WSP Opus, now Boffa Miskell)
• Developer: Carrus
• Equipment suppliers: Playground People, Playground Centre.
• Cultural guidance: Ngāti Toa Rangatira

More information

Porirua City Playgrounds