An advocate for a coastal recreation area has appealed to council for maintenance of the rapidly degrading land.
The Oreti Sands golf course was formerly maintained by its golf club until the end of its lease in 2018, and the course was closed in April of that year.
The land is now included as part of the Invercargill City Council’s Sandy Point master plan, which is presently in the drafting stages.
Oreti Sands User Group advocate Brian Rowe spoke to ICC councillors during the public forum of the council’s Community Wellbeing Committee meeting yesterday.
He said he had been in contact with council since 2020 over the degrading state of the course, which was mainly due to the invasion of lupins.
He ran a Facebook community page for users of the area that had a reach of around 300 people, and had recently run a poll asking members if they were aware council had submissions open to the public regarding the future of Oreti Sands in 2022 — 91% of responders said they had not.
It had since been suggested to him by council staff the master plan would be reopened to submissions from stakeholders, Mr Rowe said.
"The Oreti Sands User Group submission would be that Oreti Sands would be kept open for multiple users in the nature of a golf course, that is with wide open areas of land protected by forested areas and clearly defined tracks.
"Although multiple groups such as orienteering, harriers, triathletes and recreational walkers, army, police, disc golf, and schools use the course and surrounds, there are opportunities through organisations such as Active Southland and the Disability Resource Centre to make it a recreational hub and greatly enhance the Oreti Sands experience.
"The main barrier is a lack of maintenance, or as some are saying wilful negligence, particularly in reference to invasive plants such as lupins, broom and gorse."
Committee chairman Cr Darren Ludlow told Mr Rowe the group would be made aware the next time consultation would be happening on the issue.
