A new skate park has been confirmed for construction at Kuirau Park in Rotorua.

Kuirau Park, which fringes the west end of the city, has been undergoing radical change over recent months.

Critical in the makeover was a decision to shift the local flea market, operated by the Rotary North Rotary Club which has drawn significant funds in rentals for the Rotorua Lakes Council.

Today, the council has confirmed a new skate park – replacing a 20-year-old park adjacent old railway lines on Ranolf Street – will be placed near the flea market site.

The rotary market will shift barely 200 metres from its present site, where it has been a popular Saturday morning attraction for many years.

Its new location was formerly netball courts, disused because of unstable playing levels some years ago.

Today's announcement was fronted by sports and recreation officer Rob Pitkethley and long-term councillor Charles Sturt, who has retired after some 30 years' service.

A notion that the new skate park could be named in his honour – Charles has publicly announced his medical condition is terminal – could be a prospect in view of his sporting administrative heft over the years.

Comment has been sought in this regard.

Meanwhile, the council reports that a number of sports fields and local parks are also getting a spruce up for the summer months.

They are part of commitments set out in Council's 2018-28 Long-term Plan with more than $24 million budgeted over the next 10 years for upgrades, renewals and enhancements across all the sports, recreation and environment areas.

The Kuirau Park upgrade is expected to finish later in spring.

At Pentahedron Park, the construction of the first 20 carparks is almost complete on the Te Ngae Road side of the park.

On the Vaughan Road side, a further 70 parks are being constructed and earthworks are well underway.

The additional parking will increase capacity for large sporting events and will help to alleviate congestion on Te Ngae Road when the facility is being used, says the council.

Work is nearing completion on the extended car parking area at Smallbone Park, the city's main cricket and hockey venues.

Extra parking and new layout will increase capacity during practise and game days and will improve traffic flow to make it safer for pedestrians accessing both the cricket and hockey grounds, the council says.

The removal of a number of trees at the entry/exit to Smallbone Park has also improved visibility for cars egressing the carpark onto Devon Street.

At the Sanatorium Reserve, wildlands will soon be continuing pest plant control within the reserve now that winter is over.

This will be the second year of the five-year project to restore Sanatorium Reserve.

Predator control will also start with a possibility members of the public can assist.

Litter continues to be a problem within the reserve.

Community volunteer groups have collected litter at Sanatorium Reserve.

Sudima Hotel recently hosted a clean-up at the reserve as part of Conservation Week.

The recent confirmation that long-tailed bats were definitely using two sites within the reserve for foraging and roosting has meant that a new plan is being considered to manage the trees within the reserve.

The plan will help to ensure the bats' habitat is not affected by the restoration work.

The council is working with residents around Tihi Road Reserve to better understand how the community uses the space and what is important to them for the future.

In recent months trees that were impacting nearby residents have been topped or felled but to effectively resolve all issues, some further trees will need to be removed and a replanting plan will need to be created.