A special campervan park, already operating at Oamaru's Centennial Park for the Rugby World Cup, has been given formal approval by the Waitaki District Council to operate as a business on what is a recreational reserve.
Set up by the North Otago Rugby Union, the park can cater for up to 150 campervans and 525 people, and uses Portaloos and ablution facilities at the Athletic Marist and Excelsior rugby clubrooms and the main stand at the Whitestone Contracting stadium.
A marquee has also been put up as a communal area and an office, which is staffed 24 hours a day.
While resource consents had already been granted, it was found the area being used was designated in the Waitaki district plan to be used for recreational activities, and consent was needed for a commercial operation.
This week, the council held an extraordinary meeting to formally give its consent for the campervan park.
Policy planner Richard Sutherland said a campervan park did not fit in with the definition of recreation, which applied to Centennial Park, and the North Otago Rugby Union needed written consent from the council.
