Anita Quibell
I am a parks professional with 40 years’ experience in the industry and a proven record of building strong relationships and implementing strategies that deliver results. I have worked extensively in Australia’s local government in various operational and planning roles. I have been involved in the development of strategic plans and the implementation of business […]
Margaret Mahy Playground Maintenance Plan
Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the government’s Recovery Plan had a “city-wide family playground” as one of the elements of the East Frame. Xyst were engaged to prepare a comprehensive maintenance plan that captured warranty information and maintenance requirements for all items of play equipment and life cycle replacement timing and costs for surfacing, lighting […]
Andy Smith
I have over 30 years local government experience, holding a range of positions within community development, open space, recreation and sport and community assets portfolios. I was instrumental in developing the first Open Space and Sport Plan for the newly formed City of Onkaparinga in 1998 and for the last 25 years I have been […]
Playground Maintenance Plan
Xyst developed a playground maintenance plan for all of Napier City Council’s playgrounds based on each playgrounds level of service. Maintenance plans also took into consideration warranties and supplier contact details. I-Auditor templates were developed to eliminate paper and allow maintenance checks to be undertaken via a mobile phone. All information is stored in one […]
Mackenzie District Parks and Facilities Management
Following a risk and performance review of the District’s parks and community facilities operations, Xyst was requested to step in at short notice to cover a staff management vacancy. This lead to a long-term engagement to provide complete management service for the delivery of the District’s public facilities, parks and places. In addition to typical […]
Open space contract quality audits and asset management condition inspections
The City of Whittlesea maintains 2,173 sites within its municipal boundaries where individual assets are located to be audited. All assets are inspected across the full range of park categories and measured for compliance with the relevant KPIs and outcomes detailed in the parks services contract, acting impartially and without bias. In any given month […]
Contract Perfomance Auditing
Nelson City Council engaged Xyst to carry out contract performance auditing. Xyst has developed an inspection template using a mobile app that allows performance against a set of performance measures from contract specifications to be scored from 1 to 5 and to produce an overall percentage score for each location. Activities audited include grass maintenance, […]
Yardstick Parks User Surveys
Yardstick Parks User Surveys were developed in around 2008 initially as a paper based intercept survey designed to target park users and measure satisfaction with a range of parks related services and features. The product was initially called Parkcheck and is still known as this by some users. The surveys were taken online in 2015 […]
Play Strategy Review
Xyst worked with the client to transition them from a traditional Playground Strategy to a Play Strategy. The Strategy analysed the current state of Napier’s playgrounds, introduced play beyond playgrounds, youth facilities and touched on outdoor exercise equipment and splash pads. Five key outcomes underpin this Strategy.
City of Darebin – Child Care Centre Playground Performance Assessment
Key findings of the performance assessments, accompanied by some high level analytical commentary was completed, with each playground assigned an overall performance assessment score. Analysis included site design, play value, quantity of play items, equipment condition, safety surface condition and an assessment of remaining life of the asset.
City of Darebin – Playground Performance Assessment
Undertook an assessment of each playground using the Playable Space Assessment Tool, Play England 2009, which has been adapted by Xyst. The tool enabled an assessment to be made of location, play value and ancillary facilities to produce an overall percentage score for each playground, ranking each playground to enable priorities to be identified objectively […]
Napier City Council – Westshore Playground Renewal – Scoping and Procurement for Design and Build
Key aspects of the project included: Scope development following community consultation Assessment of exisiting play structures Arrangement of site survey and consenting investigations Development of design guidelines for the playground design and build Procurement of contractors for playground removal (including evaluation) Procurement of a playground design and build contractor (including evaluation) Drafting of contracts Comms […]
Mount Alexander Shire Council – Playground Performance Assessment
Xyst was engaged by Mount Alexander Shire Council to undertake a performance assessment of its playgrounds. Playground performance assessments were then conducted over 24 sites. Data was captured into an online platform that collated the information for analysis. The assessments recorded and evaluated many key attributes of each playground, eg places to sit/socialise. This data […]
Napier City Council – Westshore Beach Playground Maintenance Plan
We developed a comprehensive playground maintenance plan, for Napier City Council, which captures detail on all playground items such as technical names, suppliers, maintenance inspections and actions required, warranties and much more. The document supports playground maintenance staff as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the playground and ensures information is not lost, post development. We then developed […]
Karl Nesbitt
I have over 30 years’ experience in the horticulture, parks and open spaces, community facilities and customer service sectors. I have been involved in contract management, business development and quality assurance programs such as Yardstick. You can contact me for help with Project management Asset management Environmental landscape Open space development Cemeteries and crematoria Community, […]
Mark Bruhn
I have worked in local government in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, more recently overseeing the governance structure, stakeholder engagement and staff leadership within a primary health network. I bring a strong service delivery and customer relationship focus having worked closely with governance groups, elected members, tangata whenua, funding agencies and community networks. You can […]
Nicki Malone
I am a highly experienced open space and local government professional, with more than 15 years’ experience in open space planning, including reserve management, master and concept planning, capital work programme development, project planning and management and community engagement. I have experience in developing relationships and partnering with mana whenua. You can contact me for […]
Hayley Lee
I am a detail-oriented and goal-driven individual, passionate about providing solutions in the sport, parks and recreation sector. I have been involved in projects spanning Aotearoa New Zealand and in Australia, working in sports, play and public spaces along with other sectors such as infrastructure, transport and coastal environments. My knowledge and experience in the […]
Jenn Benden
As a Director, my focus at Xyst is across parks and recreation consulting, business development, managing staff, and strategic direction. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada, have lived and worked in Australia, and now live in New Zealand. My specialist areas are strategic planning for parks, sport and community facilities, as well as project management […]
Play Spaces
From redevelopments to new builds, our children need safe, fun play spaces to get them outside for fresh air and exercise
Anne Relling
To assist councils and other agencies, I work with them to complete strategic and asset planning to help meet the recreational and open space needs of their communities. I also undertake project management on behalf of councils to implement actions identified in their long-term plans. It’s important to understand every client’s needs. That’s why we […]
Tom O’Neill
Since starting with Xyst, I have worked alongside council to fill the role of Parks, Facilities and Customer Service Officer. This role manages the day-to-day operations of the council’s cemeteries, parks, pools, halls and associated community services. I’m also involved in planning and auditing these services to ensure their quality is maintained. Where possible, I […]
Elise Yule
I am passionate about our sector and making a difference. I always produce work to the best of my ability and take the client on the journey with me. I like to positively challenge thinking and the way things have always been done to continually seek better solutions. My role involves working with a variety […]
Jane Wright
As a consultant with Xyst, I help local government and other agencies plan and deliver parks and recreation benefits for their local communities. This involves supporting clients with a broad range of knowledge and practical skills associated with open spaces and facilities. In any project, I aim to build strong relationships that help to inspire […]
Brian Milne
My specialist field of expertise is asset management. I also provide planning and operational support to local government clients, allowing them to complete the parks and recreational projects that enhance our community well-being. Managing assets is a challenge faced by every council and local government body, which is why I oversee the development and delivery […]
Paul Wilson
My primary role is to manage the team at Xyst’s Napier office and to assist our other consultants to bring innovative, best practice solutions for our clients. I have deep knowledge across the key areas of Xyst’s services and share it for our collective benefit. I’m the go-to guy for technical issues and problem solving. I […]