Tauranga's TECT All Terrain Park has been awarded an international award for park management, an achievement that adds to the park's success in 2011 as New Zealand's Most Outstanding Park.

The international Green Flag Award for 2013/14, awarded by the Parks Forum, acknowledges excellence in management of parks and is judged against criteria relating to public use and community benefits.

Tauranga's TECT All Terrain Park on their opening day.

Park operations manager Bill Wheeler says this latest award is further testimony to the work being invested by join owners Western Bay District and Tauranga City councils, to create an international and national asset for recreation and outdoor pursuits.

'The councils are extremely proud to have the TECT All Terrain Park join a very select group of quality parks around the world to have attained a Green Flag Award.

'Once again such recognition is the result of nine years of hard work overcoming major challenges in terms of developing such a large and geographically diverse park.

To mark the Green Flag award Bill says the councils have upgraded the park's website to include a ‘virtual tour'.

Created by Tauranga company Atea Data, the virtual tour application allows potential visitors to ‘fly' through the park and learn about activities on offer and the groups involved in the park's development.

'This initiative is all about maintaining the momentum of the park's success by using latest technology to raise awareness about what makes the TECT All Terrain Park a world class facility,” says Bill.

Parks Forum chief executive David Clarke congratulated the councils on attaining the Green Flag Award.

'They were judged on their standards of safety, welcoming facilities, management of the environment and historical features, as well as recognising the role of parks as being great places to play and recreate.

'The parks were also judged on their sustainability practices and overall standard of management.

'Winning agencies can confidently promote their parks and reserves as being the highest quality green spaces that provide a great experience for visitors.

'Local users, national and international tourists alike can be sure that they will be visiting an exceptional park.”

About the TECT All Terrain Park

The $8.5m, 1650-hectare TECT All Terrain Park, situated in the upper Pyes Pa and Te Matai areas, (straddling State Highway 36) is jointly funded by Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Tauranga City Council and the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT) and supported by the Bay of Plenty Community Trust (BayTrust).

The TECT All Terrain Park is home to a range of clubs developing facilities for shooting, motorsports, equestrianism, model aircraft and mountain-biking, Adrenalin Forest and many other pursuits preparing facilities that will provide them with security of tenure and secure their sports for future generations.

The park has an educational programme, teaching city kids about their environment and involving them in the replanting of the park's forest areas. It is intended that facilities are constructed to cater for national as well as local needs and with one million people living within two hours of the park the potential is immense.