Queenstown Bay is set to get a new ticketing office and water taxi pontoon on the Convelle Wharf, following a Queenstown Lakes District Council community services meeting yesterday.
Lakes Property Services property manager Joanne Conroy said Marine Scene was a small group of local operators, comprising Neville Kelly, Stu Dever and Andre Cockburn, who own and operate businesses on Lake Wakatipu.
In support of their existing businesses, Marine Scene proposed to construct the taxi pontoon and ticketing booth, which would provide ticket sales, field general inquiries and provide pamphlets and information.
Businesses operating in the area currently had signage boards scattered around the edge of the wharf.
Ms Conroy said the ticket booth would provide a single point of contact for all of the businesses, tidy up the appearance of the wharf and provide shelter for staff promoting the businesses.
Mr Dever told the committee that until now staff had nowhere to shelter from wind, rain and snow and "just put up with it".
"We've got no [electricity] . . . I can't even boil a cup of tea.
"It's a bit backwards."
Mr Cockburn, involved with Queenstown Water Taxis, said the company was "trying really hard" to get the business going.
"We've got no way for people to know where to go."
However, by having a ticketing booth, the public would have a point of contact, he said.
Ms Conroy said the pontoon, proposed to be attached to the western side of the concrete wharf, would enable clients to safely embark and disembark from the wharf.
While the ticketing booth would fulfil the needs of the water-based activities operating from the Convelle Wharf and tidy up signage and ticketing practices, there was concern a structure in that location would "further clutter the open views of the bay from Earnslaw Park".
Ms Conroy said Marine Scene had worked with the council's urban design panel, which considered the proposal appropriate provided "suitable colours" were used.
The committee adopted the recommendation to approve the taxi pontoon and give lessor's consent to the ticketing booth.
