TECT All Terrain Park has been awarded a prestigious international award which recognises best practice in park management.

The Green Flag Award is an international mark of a quality and the all terrain park is one of only 16 parks in New Zealand to receive the award this year.

The award criteria includes horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, community involvement and providing a warm welcome.

This is the third consecutive Green Flag Award for TECT All Terrain Park.

TECT park manager Bill Wheeler says the award is a great achievement for the park to win, and is testament to the hard work of park staff and volunteers to ensure the ongoing enjoyment for all.

'I'd also like to acknowledge the enormous amount of work put in by user groups of the park, who, together with staff and contractors, take such pride in the place to make it what it is.

'Our park is unique, in terms of its size and diversity of terrain, and caters for a range of adventure, leisure and education activities – all managed in a sustainable way. A green flag ensures visitors know they are visiting an exceptional park with facilities of the highest calibre.”

The park, located off State Highway 36 in Ngawaro, is jointly owned and governed by Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City Councils.

The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces around the world.

Launched in 1996, it is managed in England by Keep Britain Tidy and is being piloted in Australia and New Zealand by the New Zealand Recreation Association.

This year, 16 parks in New Zealand and six in Australia made the grade to be awarded a Green Flag.