Agreement for Kaiapoi Aquasports Park extended
Waimakariri District Council media release: 8th August 2022
This week the Council agreed in principle to extend by up to three years the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the WHoW Charitable Trust (WHoW) as they continue to develop their plan for an Aquasports Park in a part of the Kaiapoi East Regeneration area.
The WHoW plan is to co-locate surf wave, whitewater and cable wakeboard facilities together in an Aquasports Park near to the Kaiapoi River on former red zoned land.
Waimakariri District Council is the land owner following a transfer from the Crown in 2018 and is seeking to regenerate appropriate activities on the land in line with the direction set by the Residential Red Zone Recovery Plan and subject to planning rules being set by the Proposed Reviewed District Plan.
A revised MOU with WHoW will be negotiated for extension for a period up to 8th August 2025 and brought back to the Council for final approval.
Chief Executive Jeff Millward says “The last two years have been particularly challenging in developing plans for large recreational facilities requiring significant funding under Covid restrictions and difficult economic conditions. Council were however, impressed with the WHoW Trust’s commitment to the concept and the District through progressing the Aqualand NZ project in Courtenay Lake, which successfully trialled at a small scale elements proposed for the Aquasports Park.”
A recent deputation to the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board presented an alternative option for the use of the Kaiapoi East land from the Kaiapoi East Residents Association (KERA). KERA opposed the use of the land for the development of an Aquasports Park, suggesting that it should be granted a licence to occupy the land to plant the area with pockets forest, fruit orchards, vegetables patches and walkways.
The Council resolved not to pursue KERA’s proposal for a license to occupy, but requested staff to engage with KERA towards identifying meaningful opportunities for KERA to progress its objectives in East Kaiapoi.