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Kaitake Community Board fund sets up Ōākura’s great outdoors for summer

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PUBLISHED: 20 OCT 2026
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The great outdoors are flourishing in Ōākura after the Kaitake Community Board invested in upgrading the town’s parks and walkways.​

Residents and visitors now have more reasons to make the most of the town’s three main green spaces and enjoy the coastal lifestyle. ​

Over the last two years, the board has invested:​

  • $54,000 in upgrading the tracks through Matekai Park.​
  • $70,000 to create a sheltered barbecue, designed to easily accommodate wheelchair users, and events area in Shearer Reserve.​
  • And $10,000 to install shade sails outside the Kaitake Community Sports Hub building in Corbett Park.​

The upgraded circuit of paths through the mostly native bush in Matekai Park had enhanced the green heart of Ōākura, said Ōākura resident and Kaitake Community Board member Paul Lobb.​

“Matekai Park is like a mini Pukekura Park in its infancy. It’s pretty deafening there at the moment because it’s full of tui. A lot of people enjoy walking through the bush and it’s well-used by kids getting to and from school, but the tracks get very muddy in the wet weather so we’ve made them more practical,” said Mr Lobb.​

In Shearer Reserve, opposite the beach, a new accessible barbecue with tables, seats and a shelter is already making Shearer Reserve even more popular for gatherings and events, while the shade sails at Corbett Park are drawing more people to another venue overlooking the town’s coast.​

“Together these projects are helping to make Ōākura an even better place to live in and visit. We have a great network of walkways – through the campground and along the coast, through Shearer Reserve and a bush loop through Matekai – and our green spaces are enjoyed by everyone,” said Mr Lobb.​

At a glance:​​

  • NPDC has five community boards to give our smaller communities a voice on issues that matter to them.  They are:​​
    • Clifton Community Board ​​
    • Inglewood Community Board ​​
    • Kaitake Community Board ​​
    • Puketapu-Bell Block Community Board ​​
    • Waitara Community Board ​​
  • Each board has four members and receives $150,000 each year to fund projects in their community.  ​​
  • Every three years each board creates a Community Board Plan that sets out their issues and aspirations and identifies where resources are needed.​​
  • Find out how to get in touch with your local community board on NPDC’s Community board members webpage.​​


Caption: Kaitake Community Board member Ian Lobb with Kathy Lobb, enjoying the upgraded tracks in Matekai Park.

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Page last updated: 09:24am Tue 20 October 2026

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