Construction on Watersports Facility to begin soon

An artist's impression of the proposed watersports facility on the shore of Lake Wanaka. Image...
An artist's impression of the proposed watersports facility on the shore of Lake Wanaka. Image supplied.
Construction of the Wanaka Watersports Facility will begin in November, it has been confirmed.

Wanaka Watersports Facility Trust secretary Nic Blennerhasset yesterday said the build was expected to take about 10 months, which would mean it could well be open in time for the 2019 summer.

''A lot of that time is going to be the first part of the build, the foundations, because we're in a special area with the [poplar] trees and we have to be really careful with that. To get the foundations done will take about two months out of those 10 months so it will take a while before you see anything much.''

Fundraising for the $1.63million facility was also near completion, she said.

''We have an application in with the Lottery Grants Board for $400,000 so we're well on our way. We're feeling pretty confident.''

It has been a long process to get to this point.

When the trust breaks ground in November, it will be nearly three years to the day since it first applied for resource consent.

The proposal received 700 submissions in opposition but the consent was granted in July 2016.

The decision was appealed and a hearing followed in early 2017 before the facility finally got the nod that June.

Mrs Blennerhasset said it ''was really great'' for the end of the project to be in sight.

''It's so much more fun than going through the battles.''

sean.nugent@odt.co.nz

 

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