Community
Invercargill City Council wants to know whether two underused parks should be sold off — and residents have until August 7 to weigh in.
The two sites are Newfield Park in South Invercargill and JG Ward Reserve in Bluff. Both were flagged as potential disposal candidates during the Long-term Plan process.
Council manager parks and recreation Caroline Rain said the land simply wasn't pulling its weight. "Both Newfield Park and JG Ward Reserve have large open areas that currently provide limited value to the community. This presents an opportunity to explore alternative uses and improvements," Rain said.
"We will use the processes available to us to assess whether some of the land is still required as reserve. After completing public consultation, there could be opportunities for housing or other developments that provide greater benefits to the community."
Newfield Park is a 1.8-hectare block at 83 Wilfrid Street, tucked at the end of a cul-de-sac and bordered by Newfield Park Primary School, Newfield Kindergarten, and residential housing. It has an open grassed area and some play equipment. Council is weighing three options: sell roughly 1.3 hectares and keep 0.5 hectares as usable reserve; sell the whole site; or do nothing.
The land has been on Council's underutilised list since 2013. This year, a not-for-profit developer approached Council with a proposal to build up to 22 community housing units on the site — purpose-built for elderly residents and people living with disability.
Because Newfield Park is classified as a recreation reserve under the Reserves Act 1977, any disposal would require formal revocation, approval from the Minister of Conservation, and a Rights of First Refusal process under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. Council would not receive sale proceeds from Crown-derived land, though it may be able to apply for compensation.
JG Ward Reserve in Bluff operates under different rules. As freehold land, it isn't subject to the same legal process. The proposal there is simpler: sell roughly half the site at 38 Suir Street and use the revenue to upgrade what remains, which would then be formally classified as a reserve.
Community and Regulatory Services Committee chair Cr Darren Ludlow said the process would be guided by what residents actually want. "Community feedback will play an important role in helping Council understand what matters most to residents before any decisions are made," Ludlow said. "It's important to consider the opportunities that these proposals could create, whether that's additional housing or further investment in our public spaces for community benefit."
Rain was equally direct. "We want to hear directly from the community about both sites before making any final decisions. These spaces belong to the community and it's important people have a say in their future."
No decisions have been made. Submissions close at 5pm on Friday August 7. Submission forms are at letstalk.icc.govt.nz.