Council
Most of Queens Park in Invercargill will reopen to the public on Friday afternoon after months of storm recovery work.
The park’s northern half had been closed since October following a severe wind storm that left fallen trees, hanging branches and widespread debris, making the area unsafe.
Invercargill City Council’s Manager Parks and Recreation, Caroline Rain, said the reopening was a major step forward.
“It has taken many months of hard work by staff, contractors and volunteers, but the bulk of Queens Park is finally open again,” she said.
Much of the park is now accessible, including the key walking routes along Coronation Avenue and the George Street track near Southland Boys’ High School.
“We’ve isolated some areas where tree work is continuing, but the main paths, the golf course and the entire length of Coronation Ave have now reopened.”
Reinstating these north-south access routes was a top priority, especially with the new school year about to begin.
“Our teams have done an amazing job to get the main walkways open before the start of the new school year,” Rain said.
Mayor Tom Campbell welcomed the progress and thanked the public for their patience.
“I’m really proud to let the people of Invercargill know that they can once again walk freely through the heart of Queens Park,” he said.
“Thank you to everyone involved in the clean-up and thank you, too, to the public for your patience and support. It is the result of everyone’s efforts that we can reopen these gates and enjoy our beloved park again.”
As people return, they may notice the park looks different.
“Many large stands of trees came down in the wind, and a lot of those that remain have been significantly trimmed or have had branches removed,” Rain said.
“Queens Park will look different after the storm, but the good thing about trees is they can regenerate. The specialist arborists from Treetech have taken great care to preserve what they can, and the canopy will recover in time.”
Some smaller areas will remain closed off with hazard tape and barriers as tree work continues.
More than 850 tonnes of wood have already been removed.
“Some of this has been sold and some has been passed on to local charities,” Rain said. “We are continuing to invite expressions of interest from community groups that can help us fairly distribute excess firewood to those in need.”
A map showing closed areas and details about firewood expressions of interest are available on the Invercargill City Council’s website.