Young people call the shots on city parks

Children and young people in Porirua are being heard and are helping to shape decisions made about our city parks.

Rachel Scott, Educational Partnerships Facilitator for Partners Porirua, says there are a number of exciting park projects underway around the city, all have called upon children and young people to have a say in the direction of these spaces.

Partners Porirua has brought together groups of interested students who will ultimately be the end users of the project.  

“These students have all sorts of innovative ideas that can help make sure our city parks are enjoyable for all the community.”

Ms Scott says young people also learn a lot from being involved in this process.

“They go away with an amazing set of skills from learning more about consultation and the civic process. They gain confidence in articulating ideas, they learn about working within budget constraints, they find out how to gather ideas from the groups they represent, and importantly the start thinking outside the box about what is best for them and their community.

“It’s a great experience for young people to work with landscape architects and council members and be actively involved in a Council consultation process.”

Four projects have been confirmed. These are:

• Upgrade to Hukatai Park in Elsdon helped by a group of 10 students from Porirua School
• Creation and development of Aotea Park Rangatahi/Youth Space with input from a group of student council members from Aotea College and other teen residents of Aotea
• Creation and development of Bedford Reserve in Cannons Creek with advice from a consultation group made up of students from Porirua College, Windley School and Cannons Creek School
• Upgrade of ‘The Cage’ basketball court in Cannons Creek with input from a group of youth who use the court