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A new lease on a coastal campground in Curio Bay, Southland, has been left “to the last minute”, a local accommodation provider claims.
However, the Southland District Council says it has been working since April to review the site and seek advice on leasing options.
This month, a council report revealed the Curio Bay campground was at risk of remaining closed for summer after lessee South Catlins Charitable Trust pulled away from the expiring arrangement.
Council staff are now racing to work through short-term options for the site, with a goal of opening for the upcoming season.
Curio Bay Accommodation owner and former trustee Nick Stratford said he was disappointed the issue had not been sorted earlier.
“It’s neglect.
“They’ve treated our community with disregard, really.
“This should have been solved in June when they were told the lease was expired with the trust.”
He also highlighted a failed bore project at the campground which had required the council to rely on water deliveries, and explained the flow-on effect of the campground in Curio Bay.
“For businesses to thrive in small communities, you need other businesses to function.”
District council acting group manager Jendi Paterson responded to Mr Stratford’s concerns, saying the council and trust had talked about the site’s future “well before” the lease ended.
Both parties had agreed the previous arrangement was not fit for purpose, Ms Paterson said, and the council had chosen to look at how the campground could operate in the future instead of rolling it over.
“Since April, council has reviewed its costs at the site, sought independent advice on leasing options, met with the trust in July and October, and exchanged correspondence with the trust in August.”
Ms Paterson also confirmed the council had paid for water deliveries to Curio Bay since at least 2019, and spent $29,700 last financial year.
“The trust previously installed a bore but this became unusable due to salinisation.”
On October 12, councillors directed staff at an extraordinary meeting to work through three short-term options for the upcoming season, and report back by the end of November.
Options included the operator of nearby cafe and visitor centre Curioscape taking charge of the campground, engaging an independent operator or utilising automated systems with the help of a caretaker.
The trust used its own operator for the campground, but they left earlier in the year and the site had been closed since April, the report showed.
Trust-owned Curioscape is also closed, but an operator is being sought, and the trust has agreed the campground could be thrown into the package.
Both sites sit on council-owned land, with the trust charged a nominal amount for the lease.
“In the last financial year council spent around $84,000 at the site on water, rubbish collection, maintenance and its contribution to the trust,” the report said.
Around 17,300 “nights of use” had been logged at the campground in 2025, with most occurring over summer.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.