The results of an internal investigation by the Waitaki District Council's parks and reserves maintenance contractor, Downer, will be presented to councillors at a March 5 workshop, the council said in a statement this week.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher was at the beginning of the month outspoken in his criticism over the state of the district's parks, reserves and some cemeteries.
High growth conditions over summer resulted in the need for additional resources on the contract which had not been made available quickly enough.
Last week, Downer national open space manager Jim Nicol, responsible for parks and reserves maintenance across Waitaki, met the mayor and extended an apology to the Waitaki community, the council said in a statement.
"There is a lot of pride (in the district), a lot of pride that we have a lot of green spaces and places,'' Mr Kircher said.
"We have our standards set ... and they should be getting met. And apart from the odd exception, where there are seasonal issues, or the odd lapse, because no-one is perfect, we do expect our places to be kept to a decent standard.
"The criticism was targeted at Downer management. I know they've got some very good staff, and council staff are very good - our team is a very good team.
"They've been frustrated, I've been frustrated. The public has obviously been very frustrated.
"And so we're trying to make sure that we are being fair, but equally that the contractor is answerable to do what they are contracted to do.''
Downer is in the third year of a three-year contract, with a two-year roll-over, for parks and reserves maintenance.
The decision to award the contract to Downer in 2016 was controversial for some in the district.
It was the first time the council took its parks maintenance contract to the market.
Whitestone Contracting, established in 1991, from the council's works department, had always previously had the contract to maintain council's parks, gardens, cemeteries, sports fields and public toilets.
