Lake Wanaka boat users, both private and commercial, could well have a new jetty available to them by next summer.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council yesterday approved the purchase of a $5000 second-hand floating pontoon that would be positioned in Roys Bay, just west of the Wanaka marina.
The idea, promoted by Cr Calum MacLeod, received unanimous backing at the council's meeting in Wanaka yesterday.
Harbourmaster Marty Black ''totally supported'' the jetty idea.
Lake Wanaka had just had its ''biggest summer ever'' for boating, and facilities were under pressure, he said.
''Wanaka was bursting at the seams over the holiday period.''
Speaking in the public forum, Fish and Cruise Wanaka operator Alan Baxter said there were seven or eight commercial operators on the lake making between two and five trips per day during the summer.
He told the council it was time to ''stop talking and do something'' about increasing facilities for those picking up and dropping off passengers.
Asked by Mayor Vanessa Van Uden if commercial operators would be willing to contribute to the capital cost of a new jetty, in addition to paying an annual fee, Mr Baxter said most were ''one-man-bands'' who were unlikely to be able to afford to.
However, he was willing to consider the idea.
Council staff estimated the cost of buying the pontoon and putting it in place could be $200,000.
Cr Simon Stamers-Smith questioned the council staff recommendation the jetty become part of the reserve network plan for Roys Bay.
He was concerned that might mean a wait of between one and five years.
As a result, the recommendation was altered to allow council chief executive Adam Feeley to proceed with the purchase of the pontoon and begin the consent process.
The project would be subject only to finance being available in the 2015-16 budget.
Cr MacLeod said the first step would be to have an engineer assess the the pontoon, which had been used previously in sea water at Milford Sound.
Mr Black said if the pontoon idea did not come off, something else would need to be looked at.
