Camp area to remain vacant

The old camping ground site, which the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association wanted to lease, is...
The old camping ground site, which the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association wanted to lease, is used as an "overflow" camping area over the New Year period, as pictured here. But apart from that use, it has been vacant for seven years. Photo by Henrietta Kjaer.
The old Queenstown camping ground will remain vacant after the Queenstown Lakes District Council's finance committee yesterday declined to lease the land to the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association.

"We are very disappointed. It is an unfortunate turn of events for our members," New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) area resource management assistant Shirley Pooley, of Queenstown, said.

The 5000sq m site, west of the Lakeview Holiday Park and north of Thompson St, is surrounded by smaller cabins owned privately or by the QLDC.

The site has not been used for camping for the past seven years, but serves as an "overflow" camping area during the busy New Year period.

The land is also part of a "development block" which Mayor Clive Geddes had previously said the council would consider for future property development when the real estate market became more favourable.

The NZMCA had applied to lease the land so it could offer its members overnight parking.

Its idea was to fence the area off, and only allow members in fully self-contained caravans to stay there.

"We had agreed to have a voluntary manager on site, and would take full responsibility for the site, including ground maintenance," Ms Pooley said.

In December last year, a five-year lease was approved returning an annual rent of $3000.

It had a lockout period between December 27 and January 6 each year, to allow the holiday park to use it over the New Year period, and had a six-month mutual notice period, so the council could have the land vacated in case it intended to develop it.

But because the final lease proposal was different from the approved terms, the case ended up before the committee again.

Meanwhile, Greg Hartshorne, manager of the council-owned holiday parks, put forward a list of objections, which included that the lease could cost the Lakeview Holiday Park up to $36,000 annually in loss of income.

At yesterday's committee meeting, Erna Spijkerbosch, owner of the Creeksyde Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park, spoke against the lease on behalf of the Holiday Parks Association of New Zealand during the public forum.

She said granting the lease would give the caravan association an unfair competitive advantage over rate-paying businesses in the district.

"Our members do not seek subsidies from the council.

We are very concerned with the council subsidising one party the way this proposal suggests.""Personally, I am offended to read the land is freehold now.

If that is the case, it should be offered openly and on fair terms," Ms Spijkerbosch said.

She told the committee her own holiday park had just applied for resource consent to expand.

If the lease for the NZMCA was approved, she would withdraw her proposal and instead focus on the market for self-contained units, which could mean half her staff would be made redundant, she said.

Most of the councillors on the committee were concerned about the possible effect on the council's holiday parks.

"I am concerned with competing with our own facility next door," Cr Gillian Macleod said.

"As earnings from the Lakeview Holiday Park go back into the community, we have a responsibility to maximise the earnings for the holiday park," committee chairman Cr John S.

Wilson said.

All committee members, except Cr Mel Gazzard, voted against granting the lease to the NZMCA.

The decision was a disappointment to the NZMCA, which operates 20 other similar sites across the country, including one in Alexandra.

"It will not make more of our members stay at the existing holiday parks.

Some of them already use the parks, either because their vans are not self-contained or they prefer the service facilities at the parks.

But many of them do not need a powered site or other facilities, and the holiday park charges the same for sites, whether you use the electricity or not.

It is simply too expensive for many of our members," Ms Pooley said.

Mayor Clive Geddes said he would encourage the NZMCA to talk to the Lakeview Holiday Park and other parks in the area about how the parks could better accommodate the association's members.

At the public forum, Kiwi Discovery and Queenstown Rafting general manager Tim Barke said his companies were interested in leasing the land for a better rate than the proposed rent for the NZMCA.

"We are interested in leasing the section to use it as overnight parking for our buses.

We are also involved in the bio-diesel scheme, which operates from the holiday park, so it would make sense for us to park in this area," Mr Barke said.

The councillors expressed interest in the idea.

"We should consider other commercial options for a temporary solution. We have to think of the money," Cr John Mann said.

Cr John S. Wilson drew attention to future development plans.

"It is a prime plot of land, and the economic situation seems to be easing, so development could still be possible in the future."

Lakes Property Services, which manages the council-owned cabins in the area, will consider renting rooms at the old vacant motel blocks at the site.

"The bedsit units are in a reasonable state and just need some fresh paint and carpets.

"We will be doing a feasibility study to establish whether it is worthwhile, which will depend on the rent we can collect and the length of time the site would be available before the council chooses to develop the site," Lakes Property managing director Joanne Conroy said.

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement