Invercargill’s Queens Park is set to reopen in phases, but Invercargill City Council is preparing visitors to expect significant changes to one of the city’s most cherished green spaces.

The state of emergency throughout Southland was officially lifted last Friday, with the region now in recovery mode following last month’s severe weather event.

Council’s Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said visitors would see a noticeable difference to the space they knew and loved.

Map detailing phased reopening of Queens Park, in Invercargill

A number of parks and reserves in Invercargill and Bluff had now been expertly-assessed and safely reopened.

However, the recovery process at the award-winning Queens Park – which spans approximately 81 hectares – would take a significant amount of time, she said. “Queens Park won’t look or feel the same for a long time,” Rain said.

The first section of Queens Park – including the animal reserve, playground, and Cheeky Llama Cafe – was set to be reopened on Saturday 15 November.

“The landscape of virtually every part of our beautiful park has been altered, and in some cases it will be years before it resembles what it once was,” she said.

“Some stands of trees have had a significant reduction in numbers, as many have been uprooted. Others have had a number of limbs or branches removed entirely. It’s been pretty devastating for our team to see the scale of damage inflicted at Queens Park, and we expect it might be quite confronting for everybody.

“But change is part of nature, and this is an opportunity for us to see the landscape evolve and grow in new ways. The look and feel of Queens Park might be unfamiliar for awhile, but it’s still the same special place at the heart of Invercargill – just with a new face.”

The second stage of reopeninig would be the area immediately surrounding the band rotunda, leading south to Feldwick Gates, to be reopened Friday 5 December, Rain said.

“We’re doing everything we can to ensure Christmas can be celebrated in Queens Park.”

Other sections of the park, including the Queens Park Golf Club, the remainder of Coronation Avenue, and the tracks around the perimeter of the park including those from Kelvin St, Herbert St, and Queens Dr, would require more intensive remedial work before the public could access it safely, and was not expected to reopen for some time, Rain said.

“Queens Park is in many ways the heart of our community – it’s where people come together to create memories with friends and whānau, relax, and connect with nature. The damage caused by October’s weather event was significant, but the Parks team and our contractors have worked relentlessly to restore the park and make it safe for everyone to enjoy again.

“We know how loved Queens Park is, and that our community is eager to be able to visit it again. We are really grateful for the patience and encouragement of everybody in the community, as we’ve worked to ensure that our green spaces can be accessed safely once more.”