Hamilton City Council is on clean-up duty with some facilities remaining closed following damage from Cyclone Dovi yesterday.
Hamilton Zoo will remain closed for at least today and tomorrow as staff work to clean up debris and carry out risk assessments on damaged trees. All animals are safe and secure, but fences and paths were damaged from falling trees and branches, Council said in a statement.
It said Waterworld will remain closed until at least 2pm today while staff complete a full assessment of damage to the building.
“Some damage to the roof, gutters, signage and trees has been reported so far,” Council said.
“The Ruakiwi Road entrance and driveway through Hamilton Lake Domain will also be closed today while fallen trees and other debris are removed. The Verandah café, playgrounds and pedestrian entrances remain open to the public.
“Taitua Arboretum is closed on Monday due to safety concerns from fallen trees and a power outage affecting our toilet facilities.”
Hamilton Gardens and Gallagher Aquatic Centre reopened today following early closures yesterday due to safety concerns from fallen trees and power outages.
Council’s Acting General Manager Community, Helen Paki, warned the community to be cautious when visiting parks and open spaces during the next few days.
“This wild weather has caused a lot of damage to our trees and parks. Please take care when you are out and about and if you see any damaged or fallen trees and branches, please log them through the Antenno app or phone us on 07 838 6699,” she said.
Ms Paki said further updates on when the facilities could open would be provided via Council’s Facebook pages and websites.
Hamilton CDEM Controller, Kelvin Powell said Council staff were also working through a back log of reports of fallen trees and other damage across the city.
“We received nearly 400 reports on Sunday, with half of these relating to fallen trees and branches. Our teams worked hard to prioritise trees that were blocking roads and access to essential services. There is obviously a large amount of damage across the city and we’re working to clear it all as quickly as possible,” he said.
