Greater Wellington — Looking after our parks

Caring for our regional parks

Everyone who visits our parks and forests has a role to play in looking after these precious resources. You can get involved through volunteering and look after parks when you are visiting.

Caring for the environment and others

add_circle Show more

Parks are special places – enjoy them with care

Most tracks are shared – keep left and pass others at a walking pace. Give way to horses.
Be friendly to others – call out when you approach from behind.
Always keep your dog, horse, or bike under control. Keep dogs on leads - unless it’s a leash free area. There are many traps and baits for pest animals.
Take all your rubbish home with you - most parks don’t have bins. Pick up after your dog. Horse riders, take your baling twine with you.
Lighting of fires is prohibited - except at Battle Hill and Kaitoke Regional Park Campgrounds.
Do not take or damage plants or animals. Check, clean, dry - make sure your gear and equipment are clean to reduce the spread of weeds and disease.
Know and respect the rules for each park.

Thank you.

Study and collecting natural materials

add_circle Show more

You need a permit to collect any material and/or carry out research within our parks and forests. Each application received is carefully assessed by our Terrestrial Ecosystems and Quality team and Tangata Whenua, and takes up to 3 weeks.

Types of permits:

High impact - the activity involves large volumes/numbers of material, commercial use, collection of DNA samples (except for exotic species and/or purely taxonomic classification purposes), genetic modification, material being removed from New Zealand, rare or endangered species, significant adverse effects on a species or its habitat, any other invasive collection methods or any other effect deemed significant. $100 (GST inclusive) must be included with this application. Download the application form. (PDF 153 KB)
Low impact - the activity involves none of the above. No free required. Download the application form. (PDF 147 KB)

Fill out pages 1-4 of the Low Impact application form or pages 1-5 of the High Impact application form and drop or send to:

Attn: Advisor, Biodiversity Monitoring
Greater Wellington Regional Council
PO Box 11646 Manners Street
Wellington 6142

If your application is successful, you will be sent a Permit and must sign it. Any permit that is not signed by a GW Biodiversity staff member and the Applicant is invalid.

You must carry the Permit with you at all time when conducting the activity.

Toitū Te Whenua Parks Network Plan

add_circle Show more

The Toitū Te Whenua Parks Network Plan is a combined plan for our regional parks and forests. It provides directions for the use and management of parks under the Reserves Act 1977. Parks and forests included in the plan are:

Battle Hill Farm Forest Park
Belmont Regional Park
East Harbour Regional park (including Northern Forest, Baring Head and Parangarahu Lakes)
Queen Elizabeth Park
Akatarawa Forest
Pākuratahi Forest
Kaitoke Regional Park

The Plan was approved by Council in 2011 and there were amendments in 2012, 2014 and 2016. The Reserves Act requires that management plans are kept up to date so an overall review is now underway.

Find out more about the plan

Monitoring and research

add_circle Show more

We closely monitor the environment within parks and forests to determine the health of the communities of plants and animals living in the parks and forests.

Surveys are also regularly conducted to help us to learn more about the indigenous ecosystems in these areas. Monitoring techniques used include assessments of bird abundance, tree growth, seedling growth, changes in forest composition, flowering and fruiting abundance and the impacts of pests.

Surveys for introduced insects and pathogens are done regularly, as the forests are close to international transport routes. Pest numbers are also monitored to determine the success of pest control operations.

Research projects are also undertaken to help our management of the indigenous ecosystems.

See Environmental Monitoring & Research data for the latest air quality, climate, groundwater levels and water quality.

Bylaws for parks and forests

add_circle Show more

The Local Government Act (2002) allows Regional Councils to create and uphold bylaws in relation to forests, parks and reserves and other Council owned land such as water collection areas.

Greater Wellington Regional Council's Toitū te Whenua Parks Network Plan provides guidance for identifying the activities which should take place in our regional parks and the broad parameters for park management.

Bylaws enable enforcement of the rules identified in our Parks Network Plan. They assist in providing protection from damage or loss through human activity to natural and cultural values, as well as safe enjoyment of parks, reserves and other areas. They enable formal enforcement of authorised officers when other methods of park visitor management have not been effective.

Find out more about the bylaws.

Track Assessment Protocol

add_circle Show more

Are you part of a recreation club or community group supporting activities in parks and have a great idea for a new trail in a Regional Park? Important park values need to be protected. The Track Assessment criteria is found in Appendix one of the management plan for regional parks but we have created a practical version with scoring. Before you meet with the park ranger to discuss you can do your own assessment to see if it stacks up.

Download the Track Assessment Protocol form:

Toitū Te Whenua Track Assessment Protocol (Track Protocol) for Regional Parks

Meet the rangers

Our Park Rangers love their work. They get to work in some of our region's most glorious landscapes, helping to protect them for future generations. Their mahi is hard, but it's also incredibly rewarding. In this video, you can hear from some of our park rangers about why they love coming to work every day. They'll tell you about the challenges and rewards of the job, and the amazing things they've seen and done.

If you're interested in learning more about what it takes to be a Park Ranger, or if you just want to be inspired by their stories, then please watch this video. Videography credit: Amanda Dudgeon. We hope it inspires you to visit one of the parks.