What's New

An incredible few days at Generate Conference 2026 in Wellington! 🌳 Under the theme Whiria te Tangata – Weave Together the People, emerging professionals and sector leaders, came together to share ideas, connect, and explore the future of Recreation in Aotearoa. Ahead of the conference, the Generate Steering Committee had a session to review Generate’s strategy, ensuring our focus remains on supporting the future of the sports and recreation sector. A massive shout-out to fellow organising committee members Ella, Māhinarangi, Jasmin, Robert, Logan, Tracey and Kieran. Your passion, leadership, and hard work delivered an outstanding event. 🙌 Among a stacked lineup, my standout presentation came from Sam Newton, who provided an overview of the tsunami of change facing our sector, including rates capping, funding constraints, RMA reform, fast-track consenting and central government elections. His insights reinforced the need for strong advocacy, innovation, and nimble positioning to respond to these various pressures. A huge thank you to the conference sponsors Playground People Ltd, One New Zealand, Xyst, and Thrive, whose investment in emerging professionals made this event possible. A special thanks to Recreation Aotearoa | Te Whai Oranga for supporting both the strategy and conference, and for their ongoing commitment to our network. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who travelled from around Aotearoa to attend. The conversations, connections, and shared learning are what make Generate NZ so valuable!

It has been excellent to complete independent Comprehensive/L3 Playground Inspections and Surface Impact Testing recently for both Central Otago District Council, and for Green By Nature for Queenstown Lakes District Council. It is great to see both local authorities incorporating these important comprehensive inspections in to a regular cycle to ensure any issues are getting picked up to guide maintenance and to be pro-active about renewal and capital improvements. Thanks to the teams at both Councils and Green By Nature for working with us!

🌳 We are also excited about the upcoming launch of the new Public Open Space Handbook on the 30th of September in Melbourne! 🌳 The project was led by Nicki Malone, ARPro, and the Handbook was written by our Xyst Director, Jenn Benden. There are so many organisations and individuals to thank for their input into this project, and nearly 700 references to great open space reports and documents from all over the world. Come join us on 30 September for a practical masterclass on 4 modules within first section of the Handbook, PLAN. See you there!

Parks Planning Training Opportunities Join us for one or two courses from Recreation Aotearoa and Xyst specifically designed for professionals working in parks and open spaces. 1. Preparing Reserve Management Plans
The RMP process from start to finish: single vs omnibus plans, partnering with iwi, writing policy that holds up, and where AI and e-plans fit in now. 2. Fundamentals of Park Planning
Introduction to the Reserves Act, land status and classification, reserve management planning and the core principles behind good park planning. Full-day, in-person training built for planners, managers, and consultants - whether you're new to reserves or if you want to sharpen what you already know. Register now using this link - https://bit.ly/4xNCpWx #ParksPlanning #ReserveManagement #RecreationAotearoa

𝗨𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗬𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴?? For parks and recreation teams, understanding your assets and services is essential — but knowing how you compare with similar organisations can be challenging. That’s where benchmarking adds value. The #Yardstick benchmarking program provides councils with an evidence-based reference point to understand their current position, identify opportunities and support better decisions. 🌿 City of Whitehorse (2020) used trail provision data to understand how its network compared with other communities, helping inform future trail planning and investment. 🛝 Bega Valley Shire Council (2024) used playground provision data to assess its playspace network against comparable councils, supporting renewal priorities and future investment decisions. Better data supports better decisions for our parks and communities. #Yardstick #YardstickGlobal #YardstickParksBenchmarking #PublicSpaces #ParkManagement #AssetManagement #ParksAndRecreation #Benchmarking #LocalGovernment #PublicSpaces #WeHaveGreatClients

After 8 years managing parks and open spaces in local government, one question kept coming up: “How do we know if we’re actually performing well?” We can track costs, service levels and customer feedback, but understanding how we compare with similar organisations is much harder. That’s where #Yardstick Parks Benchmarking adds real value. It provides objective data to help councils understand where they’re performing strongly, where opportunities exist, and where improvements can have the greatest impact. The value goes beyond the numbers. The Yardstick community connects parks professionals facing similar challenges — sharing insights, lessons learned and practical solutions. To learn more or sign up, visit: https://lnkd.in/ePvQFxXs Subscription options include a free ‘Starter’ plan. Mark Corea
Yardstick Country Champion | Principal Consultant, Xyst

We have been a bit quiet on here of late, however, things have not been quiet at #Yardstick HQ. Australian and New Zealand Parks benchmarking for 2026 is now open and ready for your data! Yardstick benchmarking is an annual programme which enables comparison with similar organisations and industry best practice indicators. Sign up today via our website: https://lnkd.in/ePvQFxXs For more information get in contact with our #Yardstick country champions Paul Wilson (New Zealand) or Mark Corea (Australia). #YardstickGlobal #YardstickParksBenchmarking #ParksAndRecreation #Benchmarking #LocalGovernment #PublicSpaces #WeHaveGreatClients #GreenInfrastructure #PublicSpaces #ParkManagement

We’re proud to share that Karl Nesbitt (Senior Consultant) will be presenting at the upcoming Australian Cemeteries & Crematoria Association (ACCA) Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition 2026 on the Gold Coast, from 1-4 September. Karl will be sharing practical insights on developing a cemetery strategy - planning for sustainable operations, improving customer experience and strengthening community connections across cemetery and memorial park services. At Xyst, we’re passionate about helping organisations plan for the future while delivering meaningful, community-focused outcomes. Karl’s session reflects the work we do alongside our clients to develop thoughtful, long-term strategies that make a real impact. If you’re attending ACCA 2026, make sure to catch Karl’s session and connect with him, to explore how a well-crafted cemetery strategy can support your organisation.
#ACCA2026 #Xyst #CemeteryStrategy #CommunityPlanning #AssetManagement #CustomerExperience