Article By: Will Johnston, The Daily News • March 9, 2026
The locally devised funding model that helped New Plymouth build one of the country’s biggest all-ages playgrounds is in hot demand at councils around the country.
New Plymouth Partners, formed in 2021, aims to bridge the gap between the district council, donors, businesses and community groups to help fund projects that benefit the district.
On of those projects was Destination Kawaroa, the massive play area on New Plymouth’s foreshore built on the site of an existing council play ground.
It received significant private support, with its drive led by the Taranaki Foundation, allowing it to be delivered at a much larger scale than if it had relied on council renewal funding alone.
NP Partners lead John Leuthart said the funding model grew from lessons learned during the Puke Ariki project, which brought together council, iwi, government and businesses to build the community facility.
“It’s not a quick fix,” Leuthart said, who led the funding for the museum at the time. “It’s a slow process that depends on consultation, relationships and shared vision.”
Leuthart had visited councils including Hastings, Tauranga and Queenstown to explain how the model worked after some requesting full briefings, while others wanted an overview.
“This is a dream for a CEO or a mayor, where you have a group of companies, organisations, and individuals that want to get behind projects because they love being part of the city,” he said.
“It’s their passion and they want to see it grow and develop, irrespective of rate-funded initiatives.”
Over more than 20 years, $30 million from businesses, trusts and the public sector had helped fund major New Plymouth projects including Puke Ariki, Govett Brewster Art Gallery, Womad Aotearoa and the Aquatic Centre.
Leuthart said NP Partners brought more than 50 supporters together in an informal structure offering flexible ways to contribute at different levels.
So far, the approach had enabled several major projects including Destination Kawaroa, Marine Park Otupaiia and Topec projects.
Leuthart said many of the projects would not have been possible through council funding alone, especially with rates-capping initiatives putting pressure on budgets.
“Destination Kawaroa, at its scale, would not have been possible without private support,” Leuthart said.