Tauranga City Council has claimed three out of seven awards at this year's Recreation Awards, held last night in Auckland.

The council has been awarded winner in the Outstanding Project category for the Kopurererua Valley restoration project and merit in the Outstanding Park category for the Mauao Historic Reserve.

In collaboration with the AIMS Games Trust and Sport Bay of Plenty, the council has also won the Outstanding Event category for the Anchor AIMS Games International Sporting Championships.

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout says it was an honour to accept the awards on behalf of the council.

'I'm incredibly proud to accept these awards, which recognise the dedication and expertise of everyone involved in these projects,” he says.

'We all know how much work goes into our recreation activities in Tauranga, so it's wonderful to see this work recognised at a national level.

'The Kopurererua Valley and Mauao Historic Reserve are two of our most loved natural attractions, and both show the fantastic results we can achieve through partnering with iwi to restore and maintain our stunning environmental features.

'The Anchor AIMS Games are one of Tauranga's home-grown events. In 15 years, the games have gone from a small festival of sport to what is now considered the international sporting championship for intermediate schools. We, as the local council, are proud to be an ongoing part of this journey.”

The Kopurererua Valley is a 364-hectare inner-city park development project that the council, in partnership with Ngai Tamarawaho and the Rotary Centennial Trust, has transformed from an overgrown weedy valley into an outstanding natural environment in one of the most dramatic inner-city park turnarounds in New Zealand.

The Mauao Historic Reserve in one of New Zealand's most popular and iconic landmarks, attracting more than one million visitors each year.

The reserve is owned by local iwi Ngai Te Rangi, Ngati Ranginui and Ngati Pukenga in the form of the Mauao Trust, and managed by Tauranga City Council under the direction of the Nga Poutiriao o Mauao joint administration board.

With more than 20,000 competitors, officials and supporters, the Anchor AIMS Games are the largest international sporting event for 11 to 13 year olds in the southern hemisphere. The annual tournament is unique to Tauranga, taking over the city and its sporting and recreational facilities for a week, creating an infectious festival atmosphere across Tauranga.

The Recreation Awards are run by the New Zealand Recreation Association and recognise excellence, innovation, and effectiveness of outstanding activity within the recreation sector.

For more information, visit www.nzrecreation.org.nz