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Town Belt tree removal FAQs

You can find the updates about the Town Belt tree removal project here.

About the project

Phase 1 - Ōtākaro Park

Contractors finished the first phase of this project in Ōtākaro Park on Friday 31 July.

Phase 2 - Elles Rd and Tay St

Contractors will begin work to remove trees from a section of the Town Belt on Elles Rd between Tay and Forth St on Monday 3 August.

The work is scheduled to continue until Friday 14 August.

Phase 1 - Ōtākaro Park

Contractors finished the first phase of the project in Ōtākaro Park on Friday 31 July.

Phase 2 - Elles Rd

From Monday 3 August to Friday 14 August:

  • Ness St will be closed between Tay St and Forth St. There will be no on-street parking in this section of Ness St.
  • Forth St will be closed between Ness St and Elles Rd. There will be no on-street parking in this section of Forth St.
  • Elles Rd will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between approximately Tay St and Forth St.
  • Pedestrian access in this section of the Town Belt will be closed.

Invercargill City Councillors voted on 16 December 2025 to remove several large trees from two sections of the Town Belt. This followed an extreme wind event on 23 October 2025 that saw a nearly 25-metre-high pine tree fall onto Elles Rd.

Twenty-seven macrocarpa trees will be removed along Elles Rd, as well as approximately 30 trees from inside the Town Belt.

A group of 12 macrocarpa trees on the corner of Queens Dr and Don St in Ōtākaro Park have been removed.

The estimated overall cost of the tree removal, landscape design and replanting is approximately $500,000. A portion of this cost could be offset by selling any timber suitable for milling. Some log wood will be used in the landscaping.

Residents and businesses will not need to leave their properties while the work takes place. However, there may be delays to access at times when entering or leaving your property.

Nearby residents do not need to leave their homes because the trees are being taken down piece by piece, rather than being felled whole. This significantly reduces the risks associated with felling large trees.

First phase – Ōtākaro Park

Contractors finished the first phase of the project in Ōtākaro Park on Friday 31 July.

From Monday 27 July to Friday 31 July, Don St will be closed between Doon St and Queens Dr, and temporary speed restrictions will be in place on Queens Drive between Yarrow St and Tay St.

Further details about the traffic impacts of the second phase of this work at Elles Rd will be confirmed soon.

Phase 1 - Ōtākaro Park (Monday 27 July to Friday 31 July)

Map showing traffic management for tree removal work at Otakaro Park. Reduced speeds apply on Queens Drive between Yarrow Street and Tay Street. Don Street is closed west of Queens Drive at the intersection. A work area is located on the northwest corner of the Don Street and Queens Drive intersection, with trees marked for removal. Map includes a north arrow and legend.

One block of Don St from Doon St to Queens Dr will be closed between Monday 27 July and Friday 31 July. There will be no parking available during this period.

There are no planned disruptions to on-street parking on Queens Dr.

Residents and businesses will not need to leave their properties while the work takes place. However, there may be delays to access at times when entering or leaving your property.

Second phase – Elles Rd and Tay St

Contractors will begin work to remove trees from a section of the Town Belt on Elles Rd between Tay and Forth St on Monday 3 August.

The work is scheduled to continue until Friday 14 August.

From Monday 3 August to Friday 14 August:

  • Ness St will be closed between Tay St and Forth St. There will be no on-street parking in this section of Ness St.
  • Forth St will be closed between Ness St and Elles Rd. There will be no on-street parking in this section of Forth St.
  • Elles Rd will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between approximately Tay St and Forth St.
  • Pedestrian access in this section of the Town Belt will be closed.

This is an opportunity to create a revitalised public space in Invercargill’s Town Belt. We are preparing a landscape plan, incorporating the donated Reconnecting Communities sculpture by Alan Waters.

Trees will be replanted, guided by our Tree Plan, which will ensure the right kinds of trees are planted in the most appropriate places.

Access to Splash Palace from the Tweed St end of Elles Rd will not be affected. There may be disruptions at times when accessing Splash Palace from the Tay St end of Elles Rd.

The Elles Rd entrance to Burger King, Mitre 10 Mega and Harvey Norman may be closed at times while the work takes place. Work in this area is scheduled to take place between Monday 3 and Friday 14 August.

Forth St will be closed between Ness St and Elles Rd. There will be no on-street parking in this section of Forth St while the work takes place.

Ness St will be closed between Tay St and Forth St. There will be no on-street parking in this section of Ness St while the work takes place.

About the trees

Any wood that is of saleable quality will be milled and sold to recover some of the cost of felling the trees. Wood and green waste that is not suitable for milling will be chipped and used around our parks and reserves. Some log wood will be used in the landscaping.

We don’t anticipate that there will be any firewood available following the removal of these trees. If you are a community group interested in collecting firewood from other parks for fundraising, please see our Firewood Permit Application for more information.

Some of the trees are thought to date back to the earliest plantings in the Town Belt in the 1870s.

Many of the stumps will be ground down or removed. Remaining stumps may be incorporated into the new landscaping of the space.

If you have immediate concerns about a tree in another area, please contact Invercargill City Council or report it on Antenno.

Keep updated

Receive notifications on road closures and other impacts as the work progresses.

Learn more

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