Waikato District Council’s Raglan Holiday Park Papahua has taken out the TIA Sustainable Innovation Award at the Holiday Parks Conference and Trade Exhibition Awards for its community garden.
“We are incredibly proud to receive this award,” said Camp Manager Leanne Nielsen.
“Papahua Maara Kai is one of many of our initiatives which makes Raglan Holiday Park one of the most popular destinations in the district.”
The garden was established based on permaculture principles, focusing on ecological and sustainable living techniques, and initially used Bokashi compositing – a Japanese method of composting food waste. Two years ago, the garden went through a revitalisation, involving burying fish waste under the garden beds, layered with cardboard, soil, and mulch, significantly enhancing the garden’s soil quality.
Compost and mulch are sourced locally, along with seeds from the Whaingaroa Environmental Centre’s seedbank to promote seed sharing and minimise environmental impact. An on-site worm farm also produces fertiliser for the garden.
The garden provides fresh organic produce to visitors, with surplus items donated to the local community food pantry. Staff also use the garden to encourage visiting children to learn valuable gardening skills and to teach them about sustainability.
“This innovation has so many benefits in terms of education, visitor satisfaction, lowering waste and carbon footprint, and community impact,” said the judges of Papahua Maara Kai.
“It is a shining example of a tourism business that has truly embedded sustainability, to the benefit of the business, visitors, the community and the environment.”
