Kowhai Park – opening soon

Published on 30 November 2015

30 November 2015

Kowhai Park, one of New Zealand’s most famous parks, is on the mend after the June 2015 floods.

Property Manager Rowan McGregor says work is progressing at a steady rate and he hopes the park will be open by Christmas.

“We understand that the closure of the park has caused frustration to residents and we thank people for their patience while we get it cleaned up. We also know that a number of groups, including our parks team, have been eager to get on and fix the park but weather and ground conditions have delayed this work.

“The playground area is the main focus of the clean-up but before we sow grass seed we have had to finish other tasks such as underground drainage and repairs to the safety matting, play equipment and the BBQ area.

“Unfortunately it is not possible to do all of these activities at once, or co-ordinate all contractors involved to be onsite at the same time.

“While grass seed has been sown in some areas, there is still work to do on ground that has been disturbed. Grass takes regular watering and a number of weeks to establish to the point where people can walk over it without too much damage. The green grass that we see when we drive by the park does not tell the full story. When looked at closer up, the growth is quite patchy.

“So far, repairs have been made on the Tot Town Railway although some electrical work is required before the train can run. The bulk of the silt has been removed from the castle moat and work is progressing on clearing silt from the pirate ship and washing down the moat and castle. The gardens have been replanted and barked. Good progress has been made on the toilets, which needed to be refurbished after the floods.”

Mayor Annette Main says the work on the park so far could not have been done without the help of various groups in the community who have “worked exceptionally hard to get this incredibly iconic park back up and running for locals and visitors”.

“We want to thank the Department of Corrections team, Lions, Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles, Horizons Regional Council, BNZ, Rotary and of course our own Council parks team for working hard to get Kowhai Park useable before Christmas.

“We know people love the park and have really missed it since the floods, especially as the weather gets warmer. When it’s back open it will look fantastic and can be enjoyed by everyone throughout the hot summer months.”