28 January 2005

Garden Awards a blooming success

The winners of the second-annual Housing New Zealand Garden Awards were announced today by Housing Minister Steve Maharey.

The more than 3,000 entries - over double the amount received last year - were evidence of the genuine pride state house tenants take in where they live, Steve Maharey said.

“There has been an amazing response to the Garden Awards. The winning entries have shown creativity and tremendous effort.

"Once again these awards have demonstrated that state house tenants have a lot of pride in where they live. It's great that Housing New Zealand is taking the time to recognise the efforts that tenants put into their gardens. These awards also encourage others to follow their neigbours' example and get into their gardens."

Steve Maharey visited a Naenae household today which received a 'highly commended' award for its new garden. The project bordered two properties and brought two neighbours together who had worked for months to complete their new garden.

The six categories for the awards included Open, Edible/Practical, Small Space, Children's Garden, New Garden and Community Group Housing.

The national winner of the Open category, which had 1518 entries, was Debra Clouston of Nelson. Her garden was a patchy grass bank four years ago; now she has made it into a sweeping mass of colour.

Judges said the standard of all entries at the national level was impressive, and agreed that Debra Clouston’s was “a wonderful garden full of life, with well thought out planting.”

Judging took place in December, and at the local level was done by Housing New Zealand Regional Managers and staff involved in organising the Awards. The national judging panel was Chief Executive Helen Fulcher, Board Member Susan Huria, Communications Director Tom Bridgman and freelance writer Hannah Zwartz.

A list of winning gardens is attached.

Contact: Dan Lambert, Press Secretary, (04) 471 9154 or (021) 270 9115, email: daniel.lambert@parliament.govt.nz, www.beehive.govt.nz/maharey.

Housing New Zealand 2004 Garden Awards national results

Open Winner: Debra Clouston (Nelson) Highly commended: Joan and Ronald Thompson (New Plymouth); and Henry and Marie Bowman (Hamilton). Edible/practical Winner: Barry Dunn (Mt Albert, Auckland) Highly commended: William and Judith Allenden (Eltham). Small space Winner: Hazel Whitehead (Whangarei) Highly commended: Dorothy Blank (Thames). Children’s garden Winner – Open: Zolina and Rita Fruean (Upper Valley, Wellington) Winner – Veggie garden: Levi Timoti (Hamilton) Highly commended: Sheenagh McPherson (Wanganui). New Garden Winner: Diana Irving (Nelson) Highly commended: Akanesi Havea (Naenae). Community Group Housing Winner: NZ Care Group residents and support staff, Riccarton Highly commended: David Mead, SILC (Supported Individualised Lifestyle Choices, Tauranga).

Two additional awards were given on the day, as HNZC Board Director Susan Huria thought the entries deserved special merit. These Director’s Awards went to Douglas and Lee Reeves (Dunedin), and Rangimai Tehei (Ruatoria).

ENDS

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