The Raewyn Reserve playground in Pakuranga has been rebuilt, after neighbouring residents pushed back against a proposal to move it to a nearby site.
“It’s great to see Raewyn Reserve brought back to life for the community. Quality parks and playgrounds are an important part of everyday life,” board chair Bruce Kendall said.
Kendall said the upgrade gave local families a safe, enjoyable space in their neighbourhood.
The $80,796 upgrade, funded by the Howick Local Board, replaced old equipment with safer, modern play features, and added improved drainage, a new central pathway and two new seats with backs for parents and caregivers.
The project was delayed while the Board consulted the local iwi, Ngai Tai ki Tamaki, on the design and future of the reserve, including a site walkover with the designer in May 2025.
A survey was sent to households neighbouring the reserve to inform whether the playground should be developed where it is or relocated to a nearby site.
The survey found the community was unhappy with the relocation proposal, and the rebuild went ahead at the existing site.
The work also carried an archaeological dimension.
Heritage consent was granted, and when physical works began on 9 February, crews first checked for a midden near the play equipment, with the iwi and an archaeologist to be called in if anything was found.
The physical works are now finished, bar some minor snags, and the Board is waiting on Ngai Tai ki Tamaki to bless the site before it is handed back to the community.
The playground, at 33R Edgewater Drive, sits within the Raewyn Place Esplanade Reserve, one of more than 70 playgrounds across the Howick area.
The reserve also gained native planting and water-saving landscaping intended to support local wildlife.
