NPDC staff haven’t been letting the grass grow under their feet since getting back on the fields after the Covid-19 lockdown.
With winter sports looming fast and people heading out to enjoy the last of the golden autumn weather, the team has gone that extra mile to get our parks and reserves – some of which went up to 8 weeks without a good mow during the unprecedented state of national emergency – back into top nick.
The district has about 283 hectares of grass along our 82km of walkways and 1,600 hectares of parks and reserves.
“It’s a huge area to mow, but we’ve been pulling out all the stops and taken on extra contractors that’s helped us to catch up with the backlog in some areas, while working under safe Alert Level 2 working rules. Employing the additional contractors is also a boost for local workers as we all work to get us Back On Our Feet,” said NPDC Infrastructure Manager David Langford.
“We’re lucky to have so many awesome green spaces, which are a big feature of our Lifestyle Capital, especially as we gear up for the winter sports season.”
The grass area includes 24 sports fields and some of the turf, like Yarrow Stadium, the Pukekura Park cricket ground and Puke Ariki Landing, requires special care.
NPDC has 12 full-time equivalent staff on lawnmowing operations, and contractors help year round on areas such as steep banks and outside the main urban areas. The team has also finished upgrading council sports fields and fully renewed the Pukekura Park outfield and cricket wickets.
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