However, Friends of the Gardens member Karen Swaine, of Arrowtown, said in her opinion the council was still acting contrary to the Queenstown Gardens management plan by building the depot in the historic reserve.
Development of the depot, at the southern end of the Queenstown Fun Centre, was finished on June 2, on schedule.
The council's new nine-person horticulture team moved in last Tuesday.
Community services general manager Paul Wilson said Ms Swaine was incorrect.
The depot was exactly where it was meant to be and was an improvement on the empty space that was there before.
The facility cost $530,000, including roading, civil and landscaping works, which started last February.
Mr Wilson said the development came in $70,000 under budget, "mainly due to [a] tighter construction market; and the project was managed internally by council staff".
The depot comprises an enclosed single-storey building including an office, washroom, store, staff room and double garage.
It also features a semi open single-storey shed, including potting shed, tool store and four open bays, and a loading ramp, concrete pad for vehicle wash down, four soil/material bins and a fenced gravel yard.
Mr Wilson said the benefits of having the depot in the gardens included better maintenance of the amenity and efficient use of the building.
"The alternative was to build two depots, one for the gardens and one for the rest of the town . . .
The new depot cannot be expanded on the current site and there is no need or intention to do so."
Ms Swaine was one of several residents who submitted in opposition of the depot.
"The plan doesn't anticipate a building of this size on that site in the gardens at all. The plan talks about a maintenance depot but clearly that depot would service the Queenstown Gardens solely.
"Bringing in the horticultural team and firefighting equipment is in breach of the plan."
Ms Swaine said at least public protest reduced the size of the depot.
She said if the council was attempting to centralise parks maintenance, it would have placed the depot in Frankton.
However, Mr Wilson said more than 60% of horticultural activity is done in the Queenstown Gardens, and regular users of the amenity would have noticed "significant improvements" over the past 12 months because of the horticulturists' work.
