The group was named both Recreational and Leisure Award winner and Supreme Winner at the 2026 Clutha District Council Community Awards, winning $3000 at Te Pou Ō Mata-Au, Clutha District War Memorial and Community Centre on June 18.
Group members Lisa Biginato, Tony Somerville, Ken Stephens, Neil Belvoir and Deborah Whyte were recognised for contributing the equivalent of four years of volunteer time to oversee the project, which was completed earlier this year.
Mrs Biginato said the idea had emerged during discussions about what improvements Kākā Pt most needed.
"We were there at the right time, at the right place, and when we were talking projects, that was one of them that we all thought needed doing."
Work began in November 2021 and the final additions — a seat and drinking fountain — were installed in March this year.
The upgraded facilities better reflected Kākā Pt’s role as a gateway to the Catlins and a popular destination for residents and visitors, Mrs Biginato said.
"It’s just keeping it up to where it needs to be to accommodate both national and domestic visitors that come, and also the community itself."
The project had also broken new ground, as it involved volunteers managing delivery of a Clutha District Council-owned asset without an existing model to follow, she said.
"We had to meet the requirements for a Clutha District Council resource ... there was no template.
"We were pretty chuffed about that as well," Mrs Biginato said.
The project was completed for $394,194, about $45,800 below the council’s $440,000 budget allocation.
