Tuesday 18 June 2013

Planning Committee recommends Waterpark study

The Council's Planning Committee today agreed to recommend to the full Council that it approve a study to evaluate the economic feasibility of the New Brighton Waterpark concept and its potential to revitalise New Brighton's commercial centre.

The feasibility study will evaluate several options for the size and range of activities that might be provided at a New Brighton Waterpark. This will acknowledge other possible configurations, including the relationship to the proposed Council-owned Eastern Recreation & Sports Facility (ER&S Facility). The Council has previously decided that it will construct an ER&S Facility, but at present there is no decision on the location of the Facility.

The options to be evaluated include, but are not limited to:
* A Waterpark in New Brighton that incorporates an ER&S Facility. The ER&S Facility would include other non-aquatic facilities such as fitness centres or basketball courts.
* A Waterpark in New Brighton, additional to an ER&S Facility located elsewhere in the east of the city.
* An ER&S Facility only, located either in New Brighton or elsewhere in the east of the city (this option does not include a Waterpark).
* A mixed range of locations, services and scale of facilities. For example, a boutique salt water pool in New Brighton to complement a ER&S Facility located elsewhere in the city; or all aquatic-related entertainment such as slides, wave pools and lazy rivers to be located in New Brighton, with a reduced scale ER&S Facility located elsewhere.

The results of the feasibility study will be reported to the Committee and the Council at its September 2013 meeting. If an aquatic facility in New Brighton is agreed in principle at that meeting, the location will be subject to a further detailed site evaluation, to be undertaken by way of a Council-led 'Inquiry By Design'* process to engage with key stakeholders.

Planning Committee Chairperson Sue Wells says, "These recommendations mean that the Council will make a call in September on whether the Waterpark is a go. That decision will feed into the New Brighton Centre Master Plan, which the incoming Council will finalise."

At this stage the Council has made no commitment to fund the Waterpark concept. The Annual Plan 2012 allocated $30.5 million for the Council-owned ER&S Facility, with an additional $6.5 million of funding for water attractions from the Earthquake Appeal Trust.

Consultation on the Draft New Brighton Centre Master Plan took place from 17 December - 18 February 2013 with a total of 317 submissions. A large number of submissions focused on support for the Waterpark concept, with strong support also for the Entertainment Hub. However, the majority would prefer an aquatic facility as part of the solution for New Brighton Centre's revitalisation.

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