Update January 2016

27 January 2016.
This is the first update on the Red Bridge River Park project for 2016. As reported in The News last November 26, the Sky City Queenstown Community Trust has granted $2,795 for the purchase of native plants and materials, and we are planning to begin work in the autumn. This first stage will focus on the area near the bridge because this is the most important part of the site in terms of community access. The riverbank area immediately upstream from the bridge is popular for picnics and swimming on hot days, and our initial plan is to improve the access behind the willows by removing the briars and clearing a commons area suitable for kayakers, school groups, and picnics etc. On this part of the site, the land is managed by the Department of Conservation and the Queenstown Lakes District Council. The respective management agreements were delayed by the holiday period, but will hopefully be completed in the autumn. We are looking forward to making a start on this first stage. The entire project involves decades of native restoration work, and builds on earlier native restoration work started on the Trust's land in 1991.