Hamilton Gardens flies green flag

Hamilton Gardens is a cut above the rest now its been awarded a coveted international Green Flag Award.

The Green Flag Award is the international mark of a quality park or green space, judged by green space-expert volunteers, across eight criteria.

These criteria include horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability, community involvement and providing a warm welcome. In total this year, 18 parks in New Zealand have made the grade to be awarded a Green Flag. The Green Flag Award scheme is being piloted in New Zealand by the New Zealand Recreation Association.

The scheme was launched in 1996 and is managed in England by Keep Britain Tidy.

Now flags fly over 1,700 sites across the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and New Zealand.

‘‘We know the significant contribution that public parks make to healthy lifestyles,’’ New Zealand Recreation Association’s Karl Nesbitt said. ‘‘When you visit a park and see the Green Flag flying, you know you are in one of the very best green spaces.’’