The gardens and reserves in the Whakatāne District are all available for hire. We maintain these open spaces, gardens and parks to a very high standard and take pride in providing well-kept facilities like toilets, playgrounds and barbecue areas.

Booking a reserve for an event

If you're planning to have an event on a Council owned/managed reserve, park, you will need to complete an event application form - (PDF, 268 KB) and provide supporting documentation as required for your event. This may include an Event Health and Safety Plan, Traffic Management Plan, Liquor Licence application, Public Liability Insurance, Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. Head to our Events Toolkit page for more information.

Booking a sports field for general sporting use

Our sports fields are available for booking on a casual or seasonal basis e.g. club training, school athletics days etc. Fill out the application for hire form - (PDF, 120 KB).

General use of reserves

If you are planning to use a reserve for a picnic, BBQ or small private gathering (like a kids birthday party) and there will be less than 100 people, there is no need to submit an Event Application.  However, please refer to our General User Guidelines - (PDF, 585 KB) and contact the Reserves and Bookings Administrator to ensure the venue is not already booked for another event.

Weddings

Head to our Weddings on Reserves page for up to date information about bookings and use.

Memorial services in public spaces

For information on holding a memorial service in a public space, please go to our Cemeteries page.

For more information, contact:

Reserves & Bookings Administrator
Make an online enquiry »
openplacesadmin@whakatane.govt.nz
07 306 0500