A residential red zone is now the first cleared green space block in Canterbury.
The 25 hectares along Courtenay Drive in Kaiapoi previously had 23 homes.
The land was deemed unliveable in August 2011 and the owners had to sell to the Crown.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority took it over after the homes were demolished privately.
Red zone contracts manager Tim Pow said some established trees were kept but most of the land was sown with grass and the entire area fenced.
Mr Pow said the Crown is yet to decide what its future use will be.
He said more than 500 hectares of red-zoned land will become green space in Canterbury.
