Last week, Dunedin Cricket Association (DCA) operations manager Tim O'Sullivan said the organisation would continue to schedule games at the venue despite safety concerns for the nearby lawn bowlers at St Kilda Bowling Club.
However, after consultation with the Dunedin City Council, the DCA has reversed its decision and will only allocate junior games at the venue to mitigate the risk.
Crickets balls have been getting whacked over the safety net and into the neighbouring bowling green for years.
But the problem was highlighted again last month when a big hit narrowly missed a bowler.
St Kilda Bowling Club groundsman Neil McDonald has been getting frustrated by the dents left in the green as well and made an informal complaint to the Albion Cricket Club, which is based at Culling Park.
The DCA and the DCC meet last week to discuss the issue and will meet again later this month to work towards finding a solution.
''It was a joint decision,'' DCC contracts manager parks and recreation Gareth Jones said.
''We just said, 'Look, there is a known and quite an obvious risk here. Let's do something in the short term.''
In the long term the options include raising the height of the safety net or covering the bowling green with a net. But Jones said discussions were at a preliminary stage and there had been no ''real consultation'' with the bowling club yet.
Asked if there were any safety concerns for any of the other venues in the city, Jones said it was ''certainly'' worth looking into.
''Obviously, it is important that whenever we are promoting recreational activities on reserves that it is done safely.
''We will work closely with the DCA on what they perceived as a risk and listen to what the clubs and players are saying. But the priority is [Culling Park] because we know there is a risk there.''
St Kilda Bowling Club vice-president Don Barkman said he was thrilled something would be done and suggested it might be as simple as repairing the current safety net.
''Even if they stitched the two parts of the existing net together, that would help,'' Barkman said.
''Where it is joined it has come apart and there are great holes in it. So it is not only over the top but balls are coming through the middle of it.
''All we want is for our bowlers to be safe, of course, and the latest legislation means that they have to do something.''
Albion Cricket Club president Grant Ford said the club was happy to go through the process but it was disruptive for the club and he hoped a solution would be in place by Christmas.
