- Invercargill councillors adopted the reserve management plan for Donovan Park after recent consultation
- The move allows the process to begin for removing reserve status from part of the land
- Only 26 submissions were received, with mixed views on potential sale and land use change
Invercargill City Council has taken another step toward changing the future of Donovan Park, with councillors voting to adopt a new management plan for the large reserve on the city’s northern edge.
The decision clears the way for the council to begin the process of removing reserve status from part of the 79-hectare site. Around 37 hectares of the park has already been highlighted for possible alternative uses.
Mayor Nobby Clark has been vocal about the potential for repurposing the land and previously said, “I had been contacted by aged care and retirement developers who were interested.”
The management plan sets the direction for how Donovan Park could be used in future. As part of the consultation process, 26 submissions were received during the most recent round. Of those, four supported selling some of the land, while 12 opposed the idea of revoking reserve status.
Mr Clark questioned how representative the feedback was. “How much weight should be put on those given the low numbers?”
Councillor Darren Ludlow, who chaired the meeting, said consultation fatigue may have affected the outcome. “There had been some consultation fatigue due to the reserve also requiring a master plan... plus confusion regarding discussions of ‘carving up’ the park, which was separate.”
Cr Ian Pottinger was the only councillor to vote against adopting the plan. He disagreed with the inclusion of a diagram that showed possible revocation areas, saying, “I believe it contaminates this document.” Mr Ludlow acknowledged his concerns but said the council could not ignore what had been heard through consultation.
Public feedback covered a wide range of topics including active transport, food resilience, wetlands and ponds, and the potential for a new sports hub.
While the council already approved revoking the land’s reserve status in November, the adoption of the management plan was needed to proceed. Several steps still remain, including further consultation with stakeholders, creating a formal proposal, and getting ministerial approval.