Children are flocking back to the Te Anau's Lions Park playground after a $660,000 redevelopment by the Southland District Council and local Fiordland Community Board.

The playground was originally established by the Lions Club of Te Anau several decades ago, with members maintaining and adding to the facilities ever since.

Te Anau's Lion Park playground is open for serious fun. Photo: Supplied/Fiordland Community Board

Fiordland Community Board chair Diane Holmes said much of the equipment in the old playground had come to the end of its useful life and the new transformation would ensure Lions Park remained a popular spot for generations to come.

“This has been a community-driven initiative following an extensive engagement phase which featured a number of different approaches, including a public survey and engagement with local play enthusiasts, the primary school and Lions Club."

"The Te Anau Basin Development Plan also sought feedback on playgrounds as a whole and the work on Lions Park... playground is part of that,” Holmes said.

Work on the new playground started in May, with new structures and themes, and a position slightly closer to lakeside parking - to allow for easier access and expansion in the future.

Holmes said they had opened the playground early (13 Aug) - despite a few finishing touches still needing to be completed - after feedback from mums, dads, grandmas and granddads, whose young kids were "chomping at the bit" to play on it.

"We wanted it open early just so the kids could enjoy themselves on it."

Holmes said she had visited the playground several times since and feedback had been very positive, including some from two 6-year-old girls who officially reported that the towers lower slide was better and faster than the higher slide.

"Just listening to the kids playing and laughing and running over to tell me how cool things are is the best feeling."

Holmes said they planned to officially reopen the playground in September.

Work on the project was carried out by Creospace, Fiordland Nurseries, Amenity Contracting and Carran Scott Contracting, with funding coming from a variety of sources including a $260,000 grant from Fiordland Recreation Improvement, $16,708 from a loan and the remaining $383,292 from Fiordland Community Board reserves.