Top awards for two Auckland Council parks

Two parks in Auckland’s east have received top accolades at this year’s Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards.

Eastview Reserve received the 2026 Community Park of the Year award and Barry Curtis Park in Flat Bush received the Playspace of the Year award (over $500,000).

Eastview Reserve

Situated in Glen Innes, Eastview Reserve has been transformed into a vibrant local destination where a growing community can come together, connect and play. It previously served mainly as a drainage area, with limited pathways. 

The upgraded reserve features a new playground with swings, slides, climbing frames and a flying fox, alongside a learn-to-ride track and outdoor fitness stations. The space supports all ages and abilities, with a strong focus on informal recreation and active lifestyles.  

Eastview Reserve playground.

Running beside the reserve, Ōmaru Creek shapes both the landscape and the experience of the park. Once largely hidden and functional, the creek corridor is now restored and brought into focus, creating opportunities for people to reconnect with the wai (water) while supporting the environmental health of the catchment. 

Debbie Burrow, Chair of Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board, says she’s thrilled that Eastview Park has been recognised.

“We’re super proud to take out the Community Park of the Year for Eastview Reserve.”

“Since it opened in August last year, we’ve seen improved community connections for Glen Innes at the reserve.

“A lot of work went into the design and engagement for the site, as well as great mahi with our iwi partners, Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, who led the mahi toi (artworks) in the reserve.”

At the entrance to the reserve, a striking pou welcomes visitors into the space, setting the tone for what lies within. The pou anchors the reserve and expresses the connection between people, whenua and the living waters of Ōmaru Creek, acting as a visible marker of identity and place.

Woven throughout the reserve are carefully placed kōhatu (rocks) and larger toka (boulders), forming part of both the play environment and wider landscape. These natural elements reflect the shaping of the land by water over time, drawing on the forms and movement of the awa. Integrated mahi toi (artwork), developed in partnership with Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, is expressed across these features as well as bridges and pathways, layering cultural storytelling into the fabric of the park and grounding it in the identity, histories and ongoing kaitiakitanga of the area.

The upgrade helps ensure local parks keep pace with growth, and provide high quality open space for both existing residents and new neighbours.

The project was delivered in partnership with Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, embedding a culturally and ecologically led design approach that connects people, place and environment.

Barry Curtis Park

Barry Curtis Park in Flat Bush is one of the largest urban parks in Aotearoa.

Spanning 94 hectares of former farmland, the park was transformed into an intergenerational recreation space and opened by Sir Barry Curtis in 2006. Further upgrades completed in 2025 ensure the park keeps pace with changing community needs.

The project extended and upgraded the park’s existing pavilion, preserving elements of the original steel framed structure while strengthening its connection to the surrounding wetlands. The former Wetlands Building has been reimagined as an open, flexible space for whānau gatherings, supported by new landscaping, seating and a modern accessible public toilet facility.

Barry Curtis Park playground.

Barry Curtis Park is designed around its wetland environment and the Ōtara Creek corridor, which sits in the rohe of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. Historically, the creek was an important mahinga kai (food gathering place), providing resources such as tuna (eel) and koura (freshwater crayfish), and supporting settlement along its banks.

Deputy Chair of Howick Local Board, Kai Zeng says the park is focused on whanau, and describes the award as a “win”.

“A win for Howick. In one of Auckland’s fastest-growing and most diverse areas, this is more than a playground – it’s smart investment in community life.

“Every time I go past, it’s packed with families from the Howick Local Board area and beyond. Barry Curtis Park reflects our commitment to placemaking: inclusive, family-focused, and built to match our population growth.”

Working in partnership with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, the destination playground reflects these natural and cultural narratives. Earthy tones and organic forms ground the space in its wetland setting, while a landmark play tower echoes a pūhara (traditional watch tower) used by Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki tūpuna to observe and protect nearby pā. The wider play experience reflects the abundance of the creek and its role in sustaining communities over generations.

Sustainability has been a strong focus, with the project measuring embodied carbon to guide material choices, reduce waste and divert materials from landfill, helping set a benchmark for future parks development across Auckland.

“Powerful examples of thoughtful design”

Taryn Crewe, General Manager Parks and Community Facilities, says the recognition reflects both pride in what has been achieved and the need to keep evolving.

“We are incredibly proud to see both Eastview Reserve and Barry Curtis Park recognised at a national level. These parks are powerful examples of what great partnerships and thoughtful design can deliver for our communities.”

“As Tāmaki Makaurau continues to grow and change, we need to keep rethinking how our open spaces respond. These projects show how we can adapt and invest in parks so they continue to meet the needs of our communities, now and into the future.

“Just as importantly, they demonstrate how we can honour the history and identity of a place, while creating spaces that are welcoming, inclusive and well used every day.

“This recognition reflects the dedication of our teams and the strong collaboration with local boards, iwi and our communities to deliver spaces where people of all ages can meet, connect and play.”