The fences are still up, but council and contractors are confident most of Queenstown’s Marine Parade upgrades will be ready in the next week.
Blessing of the area between The Bathhouse and Church St took place on Monday morning, led by Paulette Tamati-Elliffe of Ngai Tahu and attended by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) staff and construction and design teams.
Ms Tamati-Elliffe said she was pleased to see the integration and acknowledgement of whakapapa and te reo in the upgrade process.
QLDC general manager of community services Kenneth Bailey said it was a privilege to be involved in the guardianship of the area, along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, and said the work was on schedule.
The upgrades, which began in August, include better drainage around the new raised concrete path, as well as a public toilet and more furniture on lawn spaces.
Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers also said the "hot topic" of trees had been considered, with large rings erected around the bases to protect and maintain them.
Mayor Lewers and Mr Bailey agreed there had been disruptions to nearby businesses, but were confident about the benefits once the area opened.
Mr Bailey said QLDC was "thrilled with the team and the work" so far, saying it will be open by Christmas, bar the grass, which will be cordoned off to help growth.
