North Harbour Hockey Association has won the Environmental Sustainability category at the 2024 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards.
The award, announced earlier this week, recognises Harbour Hockey for its role in leading the Te Hōnonga a Iwi restoration at Rosedale Park.
The award citation reads:
North Harbour Hockey is breaking new ground for the role of sport in sustainability thanks to a bold, habitat restoration project. Te Hōnonga a Iwi — Restoring Rosedale Park - is a local project to turn 10,000 square metres of steep, previously weed and rubbish-riddled riparian land into a model for environmental sustainability.
In just over two years, 6,000 native trees and 6,000 square metres of native cover crops have been planted, bees are buzzing and pests are controlled.
It’s the first time a sports body has led an environmental restoration of this scale in Aotearoa. It's brought together 46 diverse community and corporate partnerships and an impressive 2,500 volunteers across all age groups, from school pupils to retirement villagers.
This engagement creates direct community connection to the environment, to climate resilience, and to sport. It’s also created opportunities for the people in these groups to connect with one another, and to other sports at the park, not just hockey.
A win for wellbeing, social and physical health, as well as the health of our ecosystems.
Sport NZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle says the annual awards are about recognising and celebrating the achievements of the nominees who do amazing mahi, day in and day out, across the sporting sector.
“They have a material impact on the wellbeing of our communities and the passion and dedication they display in their mahi is inspiring.”
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