The much-anticipated reopening of Invercargill’s award-winning Queens Park following October’s storm will likely be delayed, following a suspected arson attack.

Police are investigating after four trucks and equipment owned by arborist company Treetech were destroyed by fire in Queens Park’s maintenance yard on Tuesday night.

Invercargill City Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said the suspected arson was incredibly disappointing, as the trucks and equipment were essential in the ongoing efforts to restore the park after extensive storm damage.

“Our staff and contractors have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to ensure Queens Park is safe for the community,” she said.

“It’s distressing to think that someone would deliberately destroy the tools we need to reopen the rest of this beloved park. “We’re not yet sure how this will affect the ongoing programme of recovery, but it will very likely mean a delay in reopening the final section of Queens Park.”

Photo: Invercargill City Council

Treetech Managing Director Chris Walsh said the company would need to bring in replacement equipment from outside of Invercargill to finish the recovery work.

“If someone has intentionally set fire to our trucks and equipment, that would be devastating for our team. It's more than a million dollars’ worth of damage, but we're pulling out all the stops to keep going. “We're a resilient bunch and we're going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Rain said it was incredibly lucky the fire did not spread further into the park.

“The people of Invercargill are already processing massive changes to Queens Park following October’s extreme winds. “We’re still assessing the full extent of the damage to the trucks and the surrounding area, but we’re relieved and thankful the fires didn’t spread beyond the maintenance yard.”

Council’s Parks and Recreation team would be working closely with Treetech and New Zealand Police to determine the next steps, she said. “Despite this setback, we’re committed to getting the rest of Queens Park open as soon as possible” she said.

Anyone with information relating to this incident could contact Police on 105, referencing case number 251203/6122, or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.