Whakamaru Reserve closed for tree felling

The Whakamaru Reserve is currently closed to public access. Following the removal of the adjoining forestry block it has become necessary for South Waikato District Council to remove the aging pines within the Whakamaru Reserve, due to the danger of falling branches and entire trees from prevailing winds.

Council has installed signage on the reserve access roads accordingly. We expect that felling will start soon and we hope to have the project complete by mid-December. We anticipate that we will be able to open the reserve for the Christmas/New Year period however this has yet to be confirmed.

"The reserve will be vastly different from previous years, due to the felling of the trees," said Council's Parks Manager Phil Parker. "We will be replanting the area in due course, but initially there will be a period of significant landscape change, especially this first year if we manage to open the reserve."

We remind our reserve users that there are several other reserves in the district that can be used over the summer period - Dunhams Point (just up the road from the Whakamaru Reserve), Little Waipa and Jones Landing.

Council has awarded the contract and together we will be doing everything possible to have the reserve open for this years' Christmas/New Year period.

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