One-third of Queenstown's cemetery has been covered in mud and debris following the severe weather event over the past few days.
The state of local emergency declared for the city on Friday has been lifted, however, heavy rain and flooding caused mud, logs and forestry to damage areas of the local cemetery.
A statement from the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) acknowledged how "distressing" this will be for those with loved ones interred in the cemetery.
Debris covers the north-east section of the cemetery, however, no below-ground disturbance is visible.
According to QLDC, some of the headstones have been displaced, however, the entire area has been mapped and the council said it has accurate records of burial sites.
"People might want to check the graves of loved ones," it said, however it urged that "people stay away, both for their own safety and to aid our restoration planning".
Once fencing is put up around the affected area, the rest of the cemetery will reopen.
QLDC parks officer for cemeteries and heritage Tarsy Koentges said work to repair the damage will be "carried out as sensitively as possible".
"We realise people would like to see immediate action to clear the debris from the cemetery, but the ground is still saturated and we need to let it drain further," Koentges explained.
She said the site will need to be blessed before clean-up work begins.
"We need time for cultural observations and to plan restoration of the cemetery very carefully," she said.
"We know this is really distressing and thank everyone for their patience."
