FAQs

A plan that provides overall strategic guidance, providing for the detailed planning and design of a specific area, a road map..

You are invited to provide feedback on the Masterplan as well as the Management Plan and the draft implementation plan. Invercargill City Council will effectively be using the Masterplan as a guiding document to develop Management Plan actions for the next ten years. The draft implementation plan will be used to implement both the masterplan and management plan.

It provides a vision, however how Council gets there is through community input and available resources as outlined in the Management Plan. These will tend to change as Council gathers more knowledge and resources through the next steps of the implementation plan.

Council is required under the Reserves Act 1977 to prepare Management Plans on the reserves it manages. Management plans contain policies on the long-term maintenance and development of the reserves.

They are prepared to ensure the needs of the current and future users are captured and reflected in the plan and are consistent with current ‘best practice’ management procedures.

The management plan process will follow a 12 month timeframe, including a two-step public notification process as required through the Reserves Act, with the result being a management plan document illustrating how the reserve will be managed over the next ten years with guidance being taken by the masterplan.

Key Project Themes that will be delivered through the implementation plan and detailed within the ten-year Reserve Management Plan include:

Celebrating Unique Natural Character

• Enhancing the landscape and continuing the urban-rural integration and transition.
• Enhancing and improving water and nature features to add more amenity and better support biodiversity outcomes, while managing stormwater control.
• Providing green tree lined routes within the park and on routes to and from the park to encourage active transport.
  

Promoting an Open Space Network

• Removing barriers and fences to improve more access for all (gates and fences).
• Focus on improving accessibility through the park.
• Linking ecology and recreation corridors between Donovan Park and other community spaces and places, includes reserves.
• Enhancing connections to residential/urban areas.
• Enhance amenities and facilities to encourage more uses and people to stay longer.
• Develop active transport connections within and to/from the park.
  

Rationalising Land Use

•       Ensuring the park has long term sustainable uses.

•       Activating efficient use of land.

•       Providing quality spaces for multi-use activities and events.

•       Continuing a family friendly/whānau centric place for visitors.

•       Consider the retention of some or all of the site for reserve purposes on the basis that if the population was to grow, the rural character is enjoyed by locals and the large park at the suburban edge of north Invercargill performs a storm water management function.

Alongside the draft Masterplan, an implementation plan has been drafted to support the execution and administration of the Management Plan.

The Implementation Plan is intended to be a living document and the detail will enable development within the Donovan Park Management Plan to occur.

In order to relocate current large scale events (e.g. Southland A+P Show and Equestrian events) public land with more than 20 hectares would require investment and potentially a request to change classification of that land if not currently recreation. Other alternatives to consider would be on available private land.

Yes, there was an ICC run operational nursery at Donovan Park, however this has reduced operations to a holding area.   The nursery on site is managed by Te Tapu o Tāne and remains part of Donovan Park. It is on a separate title and classified as Local Purpose (Municipal Nursery) Reserve (~6.5ha)

The cultivation space is envisaged as being split in multi-use space. It’s intended to be used by community groups and members of the public for food security and resilience, native planting and propagation. The potential is seen for fruit and nut trees/orchards, tunnel houses, vegetable gardens and supporting infrastructure for these activities. This is in addition to the nursery operations which currently occur on site.  

Green infrastructure is the use of the natural landscape instead of engineered structures. It’s the network of green spaces, natural systems and semi-natural systems that support sustainable communities – waterways, tree canopy, bush, green ground cover to support the community.

Connected or grouped natural areas that deliver a variety of educational, recreational, ecological, cultural, landscape and health benefits. Donovan Park is a key green spaces and water connector between other open spaces and places. As part of the natural wellbeing benefits which it provides, is also serves as storm water infrastructure to aid in the management of water through an urban environment.  It will enable the continuation of innovative sustainable practices to ensure water and nature are preserved, protecting water quality, ensuring habitat preservation, including wetlands, trees, cultivation and nature play. If there is future urban growth in north Invercargill, people and nature will still benefit from the resilient sustainable quality open space Donovan Park provides per head of population.

Grazing methods will be considered as a means of grass maintenance. The masterplan also illustrates continued space for agriculture, where grazing would continue.

Current leases and activities as described within the Masterplan are still able to continue. If there is any relocation required, Council will follow the lease conditions, notifying the lease within the timeframe provided and working with the leaseholder to look at alternative solutions.

Please contact the Parks and Recreation Office if there is a space you would like to lease. Any bookings are through the ICC Bookable site which the Parks and Recreation Team can talk you through if needed.

This is to be confirmed, a planting plan will be implemented as part of the detailed design of the Masterplan which will include plants for the purposes of shelter, habitats, wetland, amenities, arboretum and incorporate natives where possible.

Literally means “a place of trees”. It’s a place where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes. It can contain a variety of species. The Donovan Park Arboretum is Oak Quercus and was originally planted in 2011 with the intention to expand it.

Increased access and opportunity for activities at Donovan Park. People will be able to fully utilise the whole area and it will create more active transport opportunities. People will see more birds and wildlife as trees and vegetation are planted and find more reasons to stop and visit this space. They will learn more through cultivation practices and education of nature and play.  

Sports fields are a priority to remain and be a part of the community hub setting.

Feedback received during the masterplan consultation highlighted some appetite regarding the possible disposal of some of the reserve area as a potential location for increasing the available housing stock in our community.

If the intent is to pursue the disposal of part of Donovan Park, the agriculture and event areas should be considered the areas with the highest potential for alternative land use. It is also to be recognised that an extensive legislatively driven process will be required to be undertaken for any land disposal options.  Revocation of the designation under the Act as well as either a Resource Consent or Plan change to the District Plan (under the Resource Management Act 1991) would be required if the purpose was for housing development.  

The anticipated legislative process is expected to be 18 months-2years (public consultation on the process to remove reserve status, Minister approval, then subdivision etc.). Other processes also need to be considered such as District Plan changes before change of land usage can occur, which will be an additional timeframe.  

There are many aspects to parts of Donovan Park which can make the prospect of additional housing, however further information is required before a recommendation can be brought to council.

As noted in the District Plan, the site appears subject to possible amplification (soft soils), high liquefaction susceptibility, as well as high value soils. It is subject to the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land 2022 which prevents non-productive land by requiring local authorities to avoid loss of productive soils to unproductive development. Donovan Park is identified as a class 2 productive soil site. Further feasibility studies (soil testing) need to be undertaken to understand this if Council decided and approved to remove reserve status.

Yes - it will be of overall benefit to the infrastructure network. Parks and Recreation have been working with the Three Waters team to understand impacts on developing over infrastructure (e.g. water pipes) and will ensure through detailed design and implementing these actions the infrastructure will not be impacted.

There will be the opportunity to provide feedback 3 August – 4 Sep on the Masterplan, in addition to priorities for Donovan Park and the implementation plan.

Written submissions can be made via the link at the bottom of this page by 5.00pm on Wednesday 4 September 2024. 

Alternatively, you can pick up a submission form and drop one off at 

• Te Hīnaki Civic Building at 101 Esk St 
• Invercargill Libraries & Archives
• Queens Park Office

You can also email the Parks and Recreation Team at parks.recreation@icc.govt.nz