Start planning those picnics – improvements to the popular park area at Wellington Street Beach are set to be in place ahead of the upcoming summer season.

Work to improve the park above the beach will get underway from 8 July 2025 and is expected to take around four months to complete.

The future look of the park has been shaped by community feedback received in late 2023. The improvements will include repurposing the existing building to modern toilet standards, adding a new shade structure, barbeque, drinking fountain and seating, and carrying out planting and landscaping.

Hamilton City Council's Parks and Recreation Unit Director Maria Barrie says the refreshed space will not only look nicer but will also improve safety for beachgoers, thanks to improved sightlines from the road to the river.

“Wellington Street Beach is a popular spot for Hamiltonians, so we wanted to ensure that the park improvements not only look good but more importantly, they help make this space safer, more accessible and fit for purpose,” said Barrie.

“A lot of consideration was put into the design for the park to ensure it ticks all the boxes. We look forward to getting this work underway and delivering an enhanced space for the community to enjoy.”

The improvement works have been scheduled to occur outside of summer, so they don’t impact on the community’s ability to enjoy this space over the warmer months.

During the work, areas of the park above Wellington Street Beach will be fenced off and there will be a short detour for river path users via Jellicoe Drive.

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