A warning has been made about protecting assets at an Invercargill park that was once considered the city’s finest.

Located near the centre of town, the Ōtepuni Gardens stretches about 1km from Clyde St on the west to Elles Rd on the east.

But a report prepared for a city council meeting on Tuesday raised concerns about how heritage vegetation would be managed at the park under an Environment Southland bylaw.

Iwi groups and individuals with permits could harvest flax at the gardens, and records from the early 1990s highlighted the importance of indigenous planting at the site, the report said.

“If vegetation management was to be directed on similar lines under this bylaw as has been undertaken in the Waihōpai and upper Ōtepuni area then what remains of this heritage asset will be either significantly impacted or completely lost.”

A key consideration for the gardens — which contains floodbanks — is its dissection by the Ōtepuni Creek.

Invercargill mayor Tom Campbell said the gardens were an important heritage site and pointed out flooding had happened there in the past.

Having walked through on Monday, he noticed heavily vegetated areas and hoped it was being managed in a way which allowed for both flood protection and the gardens.

Council manager parks and reserves Caroline Rain said the balance was correct.

The council report noted better modeling was necessary to understand the implications of the creek flooding because it currently relied on old information for the Ōreti and Waihopai Rivers.

Councillor Andrea de Vries was concerned about rubbish and pollution in the stream, and queried how Environment Southland reported back to the city council.

Rain said council staff working in the area removed things when it was safe to do so, but normally did that work alongside Environment Southland staff.

Discussion about the area followed Environment Southland seeking feedback on its proposed flood control and drainage management bylaw, which was last updated in 2020.

Ōtepuni Creek is a tidal stretch of water which runs between Kennington in the east and the Waihopai River in the west.

The council said the Ōtepuni Gardens was considered the city’s “premier park” prior to Queens Park.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.