Motorists doing burnouts and leaving skid marks on the grassed area of Kuirau Park have turned the "jewel in the city's crown" into a "disgrace".

Residents are now calling for the council to protect the city's reserves, with one person describing Kuirau Park as becoming an open access "four-wheeled drive terrain park".

The council said it dealt with vehicle damage to the reserve "once or twice" a year but damage was also caused by geothermal activity, high rain flows and some flooding, while a development plan for the park included options to restrict or block access to grass areas.

Tepora Emery, who has lived in the Kuirau community for 21 years, said it has been years of waiting for the Rotorua Lakes Council to act on preventing further damage to the geothermal park.

"The jewel in the city's crown is an appalling, shameful mess."

Emery said there were just "mounds of churned up grass, stagnant stinking water, muck, mud, and the occasional stuck vehicle".

"Is Kuirau park the jewel in the city's crown or an open-access, inner-city four-wheel drive terrain park?"

Emery wrote to the Rotorua Daily Post after what she said was a disappointing response from the council in June. She said she was told the council would contact her, "in a week or so," but never did.

"Why would the council let it get to the state it's in? They are putting lots of money into the lakefront, but they are leaving Kuirau like this?

In her view: "They don't have a plan, basically."

She believed the "lack of action" spoke louder than words.

Emery said she had lots of ideas about how to revive the reserve, including putting in footpaths, a low fence, large rocks, and restoring it to wetlands.

"Wetland flora and fauna, birdlife and boardwalks would be better than the current filthy, disheartening mess that greets locals and visitors alike."

Kuirau was a "disgrace", she said.

Residents say Kuirau Park has been turned into an 'ad-hoc swamp'. Photo / Andrew Warner

She said in her opinion the council did not care because it was "not doing anything about it".

"It just encourages people with the desire to trash the whenua to do just that."

A neighbour to Kuirau park for 15 years, Tim Worrall said it was now a site for people to go joy-riding in their cars "to go do donuts in their cars or four-wheel drives".

Worrall said he was disappointed the reserve had become what he called an eyesore.

"We have basically seen it become a quagmire. Not only has this affected our relationship to the park and our enjoyment of the park, but it has also degraded our family's experience of living in the neighbourhood.

"When tourists come back to Rotorua, we're effectively sitting in the central business district with a massive eyesore."

Worrall said the responsibility lay within the community.

"The fact that a******s are coming in and doing this to a public reserve - I want to point the finger at them.

"Kuirau should be an asset for the whole community, for our children and also our visitors."

Worrall said he had noticed the condition of Kuirau become worse over the years.

"That's sad. Although I still use the park daily, it's become less and less attractive.

"Clearly there are drainage issues and now Kuirau has become an ad-hoc swamp. A decision needs to be made to either return it to wetlands or do the drainage properly.

"I have changed my shoes when out walking in Kuirau - from running shoes, to hiking boots, and now gumboots."

Kuirau park was gifted to the council by Ngāti Whakaue under the Rotorua Township (Fenton) Agreement.

Rawiri Waru, deputy chairperson of Te Tātou ō Te Arawa, said he acknowledged the whenua was gifted to the council by mana whenua and they maintained the park.

"It is a hard one because the council does have the responsibility for Kuirau, but you can't stop people from doing what they do."

A car pictured stuck in the mud at Kuirau Park. Photo / Supplied

Waru said it was the actions of others that was at the heart of the issue.

"There is no respect for the area. People will always find ways to do things they know they're not meant to do.

"The council should explore their options, the use of bollards would be effective in discouraging that activity from happening."

Waru said the disposal of rubbish also needed to be addressed.

"Ō Ngā Waiariki is just as important as the turfing of the grass. People dump rapihi in the ngāwha."

Rotorua Lakes Council's sport, recreation and environment manager, Rob Pitkethley. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua Lakes Council's sport, recreation and environment manager, Rob Pitkethley, said damage to the reserve had been caused by vehicles, as well as geothermal activity, high rain flows and some flooding.

"Given last month was the second wettest July on record for Rotorua, all of our reserves are incredibly wet at the moment, and repairs cannot be carried out on the fields until they dry out completely.

"We deal with vehicle damage to grass once or twice a year and this is usually repaired with a heavy mower pass after the ground has dried out.

"The cost to repair depends on the amount of area damaged and if fill has to be brought in, that may cost a few hundred dollars."

Pitkethley said the land was still being used as a public reserve and the land must only be returned under the Gifted Reserves protocol if it was not still being used for the purpose it was gifted.

"If it is not, then it must be returned to Ngāti Whakaue."

Kuirau Park pictured in July 2022. Photo / Supplied

Pitkethley acknowledged the suggestions to restore Kuirau to a wetland.

"There is a development plan for Kuirau Park that includes potential harakeke areas for some of the low points and options to restrict or block access to grass areas will also be considered as part of the future development plan for the park."

Meanwhile, local Kevin Flavell said the Murray Linton Rose Garden had also been targeted by vandals.

"We have had a lot of hoons around lately in one of the best parks in Rotorua. It looks like those hoons have had another go at it the other night, driving around the streets racing. It looks like they've ploughed up the park.

"This park is unfenced and that's the council's responsibility."

Flavell said he informed a council staffer two years ago about the trouble.

"Why haven't they put a fence around it? Just a low fence that would stop the cars and motorbikes from driving on the park.

"At the moment, all it is, it's a flaming mess!

In his view, Flavell said the council did not do anything to look after the parks.

In response, the council said it encouraged residents to report illegal incidents to the police and damage to council.

"We do endeavour to respond to these inquiries in a timely manner.

"We as a community and as council collectively have a role to play as kaitiaki of our public spaces to maintain and care for them as best as we can to ensure our people and manuhiri are able to enjoy them."

- By Tamara Poi-Ngawhika, Te Rito cadet journalist