Future of NZ’s largest water park in doubt – over a road

The owners of a popular Central Otago water park fear they won’t open this summer after being bogged down by bureaucracy.

The Kiwi Water Park opened in 2020 and is New Zealand’s largest water park, attracting 30,000 visitors last summer.

It’s based on a reserve shared by freedom campers and boaties off State Highway 8, near Cromwell.

The popularity of the area has led to a review of the entrance and a suggestion a right-turning bay is needed.

Land Information New Zealand (Linz), Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the Central Otago District Council are all involved, but progress has come to a standstill.

Now Kiwi Water Park co-owner and marketing manager Emily Rutherford says that after six months of fruitlessly waiting for decisions, the business may not be able to open this summer.

The requirements of the water park’s licence include that any changes are made by November 4.

‘‘In the meantime, our business planning and recruitment of staff for this season hangs in the balance. We’ve got two months till we open and we need action urgently,’’ she said.

The park was originally granted a six-year consent by the council to operate at the Lowburn Reserve – an area frequented by campers and boaties as well as water park users.

Last season, they shifted the park to a more sheltered area at the reserve and had to apply for a variation to their consent.

At that time, Waka Kotahi raised concerns about the number of vehicles entering the reserve, so a temporary speed reduction along the stretch of road was installed.

An agreement was made between the government departments and the business to monitor the amount of traffic using the area and concluded that most of traffic was caused by freedom campers and boaties, and that a right-turning bay was needed.

A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said the review followed a serious crash at the access to the car park used by the water park in the 2020/21 season.

All the parties agreed a right-turning bay was necessary, but there was disagreement on who would pay for it.

‘‘If no agreement is reached on the access upgrade requirement process the consent conditions stipulate that the final decision sits with [the council] as the consent authority,’’ the spokesperson said.

It was now up to the business to get a detailed design and submit it to the department.

However, Rutherford said the cost of the right-turning bay could be prohibitive for the business, particularly without a long-term lease.

‘‘We’ve been put in an impossible position. It could cost $1 million, I don’t know, but we don’t even make that in a year. How would we pay for it?’’

Linz was currently renewing the lease annually. Rutherford said she would need a 20 or 30-year lease to justify the investment.

It would also take at least 18 months to design and build, so it would not be ready for this year, Rutherford said.

Even more frustrating was that the bulk of traffic was generated by freedom campers, not water park users who tended to travel in buses or family groups.

Linz could decide to close the area to freedom campers, which would resolve the problem, she said. Regardless, the company needed Linz to confirm the lease would be renewed.

Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor told the Rutherfords this month the department was still considering the company’s application.