Pond vested in district council

Roxburgh Community Board chairman Stephen Jeffery (left), Roxburgh Rotary Club past president Richard Tamblyn (centre) and Roxburgh Community Plan Group member John Rowley have all played an integral role in the establishment of Pinders Pond as a recreational reserve.

CODC property officer Brian Taylor said Pinders Pond was on crown reserve land and had been part of a Department of Conservation (Doc) estate.

Under the Conservation Act 1987, the conservator for the Otago Conservancy of Doc declared Pinders Pond to be held for recreational purposes and as a reserve, subject to the Reserves Act 1977 and to be classified as a recreational reserve by New Zealand Gazette notice on September 3.

"Having changed the status of the land from part of the conservation estate to that of a recreational reserve it was then vested in the CODC in trust for recreational purpose by New Zealand Gazette notice," Mr Taylor said.

The land was taken out of one Act in to another, he said.

"The first part was done under the Conservation Act and the second part was done under the Reserves Act by New Zealand Gazette notice."

In "practical terms" it did not affect the public, he said.

The Crown Reserve land which had been administered by Doc was now managed by the council, he said.

Roxburgh Community Board chairman Stephen Jeffery said it had been difficult to make any changes at Pinders Pond which came to the forefront when Central Otago Rotary clubs raised $12,500 to put in a toilet there prior to Christmas last year.

"The management agreement we had to enter into [with Doc] was really the catalyst in deciding to get it split up into council control."

There were no immediate plans for the reserve, but it would be a lot easier to make plans now the land was vested in the council, he said.