The team has worked in two groups, one tackling the Waipoua River and the other more varied clean-up jobs including Railway Island, site of the Miniature Railway in the Queen Elizabeth Park lake.
Ms Heyes said feedback from people had been "definitely positive", and the evidence of the project's success was that more walkers could be seen using the riverbank.
The riverbank is one of the council's dedicated dog-walking spaces, but Ms Heyes said as it has developed, "it has proven to be more and more popular with walkers".
"Traditionally, that has been an area where people have been hooning around in their vehicles," Ms Heyes said.
Wooden bollards have blocked off the riverbank to vehicles which "has made it a better recreational area overall".
The scheme workers will soon move to Henley Lake, where projects will include filling in the Henley Lake walking track with more lime, and raising and reinforcing the lake's concrete and stone border against flooding.
"The criteria was long-term unemployed, so there was a sort of a social contribution, too," Ms Heyes said of the project.
"They've done very well, with a very good work ethic."
Upcoming projects include filling in the Henley Lake walking track with more lime, and reinforcing the lake's concrete and stone border against flooding.
At work yesterday BJ Mace said they had had a lot of feedback from people walking past about how much better the river looks now.
Mr Mace and co-worker Dean Blanchard both said they have been enjoying the job and the sense of satisfaction it has brought. "It's something to do; it's good to get out of the flat and doing something, and be working again, and be motivated," Mr Blanchard said.
"And we can come down here any time and say, 'We did all this'."
