Roulston Park Pukekohe

July 2022 - May 2025

Pukekohe
In Progress

Roulston Park is an historical place of interest and a great place for a picnic, but it could be used for more.

The Eke Panuku upgrade of Roulston Park is on it's way.

In collaboration with mana whenua, the Franklin Local Board, Auckland Council, and the community, Eke Panuku is upgrading historic Roulston Park to meet the needs of a growing and more diverse Pukekohe.

In July 2022 the Franklin Local Board approved the concept plan and provided guidance on what it wanted to see in the detailed design.

Rendered impression of a completed Roulston Park.

When complete in early 2025, Roulston Park will feature:

Improved play facilities in the playground to cater for a wider age range.
Barbecue & picnic facilities.
More and improved seating.
Improved and additional walkways so people with prams and wheelchairs are able to access all parts of the park.
Mana whenua gifted artwork incorporated into the design.
Perimeter fencing with low hedgerow planting creating a green safety barrier between the park and the roads.
A wide loop path.
Three new carparks on East Street.

About Roulston Park

Situated at the corner of Pukekohe’s East Street and Stadium Drive, the park currently features a playground, a toilet block, a historic cottage, and a First World War memorial. The park’s facilities are difficult to access and underutilised, requiring investment to provide locals and visitors with outdoor fun, exercise and relaxation experiences.

The Upgrade

Upgrading Roulston Park and making it more accessible was signalled in late 2019 via the Unlock Pukekohe High Level Project Plan – “Kia Puawai a Pukekohe”. Achieving this would require collaboration between Eke Panuku, the Franklin Local Board, mana whenua, Auckland Transport, Auckland Council and the Pukekohe community.

Extensive community and stakeholder consultation on the future shape of the park was carried out early in 2022. This included:

Three face to face events.
An online survey, supported by newspaper and social media ads, with 358 responses.
Over 12,500 brochures sent to local homes.
Newspaper advertising.
Social media posts.
Town centre displays and on-site signage.

What we heard from you

Community engagement revealed three dominant themes:

Access

“Yes, I know Roulston Park is there, but I don’t use it because it’s too hard to get to.”

“More paths through the park, of better quality – smooth, level and wide for people with mobility aids, scooters, prams and kids with wheels.”

Safety and security

“It’s not safe to let my kids run around in Roulston Park because of the traffic.”

“With the pram and my little one on a scooter, it’s too dangerous to cross that road so we go elsewhere.”

“People walking through can get hit because there is no pathway.”

Inclusiveness

“A playground that caters to my kids of all ages and a place to meet friends for a coffee or picnic.”

“Activities for adults and elderly people too.”

“Play equipment for all abilities.”

“Native plantings that reflect Rongoa Māori and maramataka so everyone can learn about them.”

We even got drawings from local kids showing what they wanted the playground to be.

The cultural context

Mana whenua have played a direct role in the park’s design. Hui with Te Waiohua rōpū were held to present community feedback, develop the design at each key stage, and develop the cultural narrative. Ngāti Tamaoho were nominated as kaitiaki for the project and led a hikoi to enable Eke Panuku to better understand the cultural significance of the area. Te Waiohua rōpū nominated the mana whenua artists who have developed the mahi toi (artwork) to be integrated into the design.

The Franklin Historical Society and Valley School have also provided valuable assistance to ensure the design meets the needs of all park users.

Better Access

Access to the park was identified as a significant barrier to enjoyment. The park is bordered by major arterial roadways that are expected to get even busier as Pukekohe grows. The East Street/Stadium Drive and Massey Drive/King Street/Manukau Road/Stadium Drive intersections connect the park to the town centre and are also uncontrolled. Crossing these intersections to get to the park is a safety challenge for pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities, or with young children.

Eke Panuku has partnered with Auckland Transport to have these intersections controlled with traffic lights. This allows for crossing signals at both intersections greatly improving:

Pedestrian safety and convenience for people accessing the park.
Traffic flows and overall wait times from each direction.
Pedestrian access to the town centre and the bus and train interchange.

You can read more about the intersection upgrades here.

Indicative timeframes for this project can be seen here.

What’s not included

Surrounding intersection upgrades. See more here.
Some people wanted ways to play with water in the park, and while we agree that would be fun, it would require digging up some of the old trees to put in pipes and drains, and we want to avoid that where we can.
When we began engaging on this project we included the skate park in our plans. In order to complete this project within current budgets and in an efficient time frame, and after consultation with the community, we have decided to focus on Roulston Park for this upgrade, and will continue to think about ways in which we can upgrade the skate park in the future.