Christchurch City Council head of parks Andrew Rutledge said Roto Kohatu Reserve is used by thousands of people a day over summer so the council wants to make some improvements to the area.
"Roto Kohatu Reserve is getting more popular with water sports, user groups and the public so we’ve had to look carefully at how we manage and plan the development of the reserve," Rutledge said.
"We want to protect the biodiversity and natural beauty of the area while also supporting the use of the reserve for a wide range of organised and informal water-based recreation and sport activities.
"There are some improvements we want to make. For example, we want to make enhancements on the edge of Lake Rua so it is easier for people to swim and to launch boats.
"We also want to develop a new diving platform and a jetty or pontoon for swimmers and expand Lake Tahi so that we can add two new ‘courts’ for canoe polo. We would also like to add a shared use sports facility on the edge of Lake Tahi.
"Other things we would like to do include adding more landscaping, creating more picnic areas, enhancing the walking tracks, and potentially shift the entrance to the reserve."
The proposed improvements are outlined in the draft development plan for Roto Kohatu Reserve, which the council is seeking feedback on. It also wants public feedback on the draft management plan, Rutledge says.
A public drop-in session will be held at Roto Kohatu Reserve between 4 and 7pm on Tuesday, February 15. It will give people the chance to talk to council staff about both the development plan and the management plan.
Said Rutledge: "We are very lucky to have an aquatic playground like Roto Kohatu Reserve so close to our city centre.
"We want to make sure we look after it and protect it so that future generations can enjoy all it offers."
