Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

On a glorious day last week, on my way home from a meeting, I took a detour and visited the Papamoa Hills Regional Park – one of two properties owned by Bay of Plenty Regional Council which provide recreation and open space opportunities to the Bay of Plenty community, while protecting significant cultural and heritage landscapes. Entrance to the park is 10 minutes west of Te Puke – you start at the carpark off Poplar Lane (off State Highway 2) and the walk takes about an hour.

The walk was well worth the effort. An interesting bush walk gave way to fabulous panoramic views of Tauranga Harbour and the Papamoa coast. On the top of the hills, you can walk around the pa site and picture the way it was when Maori lived there.

Visitor numbers to the park are increasing, with an average of 300 people visiting the park every day. Overall visitor satisfaction with Papamoa Hills is high, with the most recent survey indicating a satisfaction rate of 95.2%.

Further improvements to the park have been planned in conjunction with an Advisory Committee made up of representatives from Waitaha, Ngati Pukenga, Ngati He, Nga Potiki and New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT). To encourage park users to explore other areas of the property rather than simply walking to the summit and back down, a loop track is being developed. Selected revegetation is also underway. In 2010, 15,000 native species were planted on hill faces and gullies in the park. Winter 2012 will see a further 21,000 native plants planted on three sites totalling an area of 5ha.

To support the development of community interest and participation, regional council staff are in the process of forming a Friends of Papamoa Hills group. It is hoped the group will lead community events such as planting days. It is also possible they may form into an entity that will attract their own funding for park projects. There are several local community, recreational and heritage groups and schools who have indicated they would be interested in being part of a ‘friends' group.

A facilitated meeting will be taking place shortly with parties who have expressed an interest. The regional council hopes to have the ‘friends' in place by June 2012.

So check out the park for yourself – you won't be disappointed. On a clear day you can see for miles and miles!

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please email me, neesj@xtra.co.nz or phone, 07 579 5150. Or you can check out my website: www.janenees.co.nz