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Presenting the Creative Places Awards 2007

Waitakere City Council's commitment to ensuring vibrant public spaces and an arts-rich city was recognised when it won the Premier Creative Places Award 2007, presented by Creative New Zealand at the Local Government New Zealand Conference in Dunedin from 15 to 17 July 2007.

Creative New Zealand presents the annual Creative Places Awards to recognise local government's vital investment in the arts of New Zealand. They also celebrate innovative arts projects that have enhanced the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of their communities.

The prize for the Premier Creative Places Award is a $10,000 contribution from Creative New Zealand towards the commissioning of a new public artwork, to be chosen by the winner. The Premier Creative Places Award 2007 was chosen from the district and city council winners in the following four categories:
• Arts Provision
• Built Environment
• Cultural Festivals and Arts Events

This year's award winners are as follows:

Arts Provision: City and Regional Councils
Auckland City Council for its creative industries research, documented in Snapshot, and an action plan, Blueprint, to harness the creative sector's potential and ensure economic growth in Auckland.

Arts Provision: District Councils
New Plymouth District Council for Takapou whāriki: family history identity, an exhibition at Puke Ariki about immigration and settlement in Taranaki that involved extensive community participation.

Cultural Festivals and Art Events: District Councils
Grey District Council for Art in the Park, a one-day community event in Greymouth's central park promoting West Coast art and artists.

Built Environment: City and Regional Councils
Waitakere City Council for its Arts:Design collaboration and integration in the development of a new city centre for Henderson

Built Environment: District Councils
Kaikoura District Council for its Kaikoura Southern Gateway Project: the development of a reserve and an entranceway to the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway, driven by the Kaikoura Walkway Planning Committee.

In addition, two Judges' Citations were awarded. The recipients were:
• Porirua City Council for Our Back Yard, Conservation Week at Pataka
• Whangarei District Council for the Waka and Wave sculpture.

The Creative Places Awards also recognise an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the arts within the local government environment. This year, the Outstanding Individual Contribution Award was presented to Te Warihi Kokowai Hetaraka (Ngāti Wai, Tainui, Ngāpuhi) of Whangarei.

Te Warihi Hetaraka is one of New Zealand's pre-eminent tohunga whakairo - master carvers - with an international reputation. He is also widely respected for his profound knowledge of tikanga Māori, and his role as teacher and mentor.

Te Warihi Hetaraka and each of the councils received a certificate and an artwork by Tauranga award-winning ceramic artist John Roy.