WANAKA LAKEFRONT RESERVES MANAGEMENT PLAN October 2014 // Queenstown Lakes District Council CONTENTS CONTENTS 1 // INTRODUCTION 5 2 // WELCOME TO THE 6 WANAKA LAKEFRONT 1.1 // Purpose 5 2.1 // Cultural history – Ngāi Tahu 6 1.2 // Vision 5 2.2 // Landscape 7 1.3 // Objectives 5 2.2.1 // Glendhu Bay Recreation Reserve 7 2.2.2 // Western end of Damper Bay Lakefront 8 Recreation Reserve to Rippon Vineyard 2.2.3 // Rippon Vineyard to the northern end 9 of Bremner Bay Recreation Reserve 2.2.4 // Bremner Bay Recreation Reserve 10 to the Clutha Outlet Reserve 2.2.5 // Key view points and landmarks 11 2.3 // Geology 11 2.4 // Rivers and catchments 12 2.5 // Topography 12 2.6 // Land use 13 Wanaka Lakefront Reserves Management Plan Queenstown Lakes District Council 2 3.8 // Roys Bay Reserve 21 3 // THE RESERVES 14 CONTENTS 3.8.1 // History 21 3.1 // Glendhu Bay (West) Reserve 14 3.8.2 // General description 21 3.1.1 // History 14 3.1.2 // General description 14 3.9 // Wanaka Marina Reserve 22 3.9.1 // History 22 3.2 // Glendhu Bay Campground Reserve 15 3.9.2 // General description 22 3.2.1 // History 15 3.2.2 // General description 15 3.10 // Eely Point Reserve (includes Esplanade 23 connecting to Wanaka Marina Reserve) 3.3 // Damper Bay Reserve 16 3.10.1 // History 23 3.3.1 // History 16 3.10.2 // General description 23 3.3.2 // General description 16 3.11 // Bremner Bay Reserve 24 3.4 // Damper Bay to Waterfall Creek 17 3.11.1 // History 24 3.4.1 // History 17 3.11.2 // General description 24 3.4.2 // General description 17 3.12 // Beacon Point Reserve 25 3.5 // Waterfall Creek Track 18 3.12.1 // History 25 3.5.1 // History 18 3.12.2 // General description 25 3.5.2 // General description 18 3.13 // Outlet Reserve 26 3.6 // Waterfall Creek to Wanaka Station Park 19 3.13.1 // History 26 3.6.1 // History 19 3.13.2 // General description 26 3.6.2 // General description 19 3.7 // Wanaka Station Park 20 3.7.1 // History 20 3.7.2 // General description 20 Wanaka Lakefront Reserves Management Plan Queenstown Lakes District Council 3 4 // MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS 27 5.2.1 // Recognise the unique character 34 of the Wanaka Lakefront Reserves and AND OPPORTUNITIES reflect this in the design, maintenance and CONTENTS management of the lakefront reserves 4.1 // Cultural values – Ng i Tahu 27 ā 5.2.2 // Manage and maintain areas of 34 the lakefront reserves as formal 4.2 // Recreation 27 recreational areas for the enjoyment of the community and visitors 4.3 // Leases, licences and concessions 28 5.2.3 // Manage the impact on the natural 35 amenity values of the lakeside reserves 4.4 // Economic values 28 by minimising buildings and positioning them appropriately 4.5 // Physical constraints 28 5.2.4 // Retain a high level of unrestricted 36 4.6 // Other reserve uses 28 access to and within the lakefront reserves and facilitate formal lake access 4.6.1 // Helicopter operations 28 5.2.5 // Manage use of the lakefront 36 4.6.2 // Model aircraft 28 reserves in a way that sustains the 4.6.3 // Freedom camping 28 natural biodiversity of the land and the adjacent pristine lake 4.6.4 // Utilities 28 4.7 // Ecology 29 6 // APPENDICES 38 4.7.1 // Present day vegetation 29 6.1 // Legal descriptions of 38 4.7.2 // Weeds 31 the Lakefront Reserves 4.7.3 // At risk and threatened plants 31 6.2 // Leases, licences and concessions 43 4.7.4 // Fauna 31 4.7.5 // Introduced mammals 32 6.3 // District Plan designations 45 and special provisions 6.4 // Proposed activities 47 5 // VISION, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES 33 6.5 // Maps 51 5.1 // Vision 33 6.6 // Images 55 5.2 // Overarching objectives 33 Wanaka Lakefront Reserves Management Plan Queenstown Lakes District Council 4 1 // INTRODUCTION // 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 // PURPOSE 1.2 // VISION 1.3 // OBJECTIVES • Manage the impact on the natural amenity values of the The purpose of this reserve The vision for the Wanaka lakefront The objectives sought from this lakeside reserves by minimising management plan is to identify reserves is: management plan are to: buildings and positioning the objectives and policies for the them appropriately management, including protection • Recognise the unique character To protect and and development, of the Wanaka of the Wanaka lakefront reserves • Retain a high level of unrestricted access to and within the lakefront reserves. enhance the and reflect this in the design, lakefront reserves and facilitate 1 maintenance and management There are 14 reserves that are amenity and of the lakefront reserves formal lake access included in this plan, covering an ecological values area of approximately 315 hectares. • Manage and maintain areas • Manage use of the lakefront of the Wanaka of the lakefront reserves as reserves in a way that sustains The lakefront character is a major formal recreational areas for the the natural biodiversity of lakefront reserves drawcard for locals and visitors. enjoyment of the community the land and the adjacent Access to the lake, its shore and whilst providing and visitors pristine lake the many recreational activities opportunities for these support are a key component These objectives are expanded on in Section 5 of this plan. of life in Wanaka. both land and water This plan supports Council in based recreation. preserving and enhancing the outstanding natural landscape status that the Wanaka lakefront holds. Council recognises and thanks the Wanaka community for its extensive engagement in the process to develop this plan. 1 Amenity values are those natural or physical qualities and characteristics of an area that contribute to people’s Wanaka Lakefront Reserves Management Plan appreciation of its pleasantness, aesthetic coherence and cultural and recreational attributes Queenstown Lakes District Council 5 2 // WELCOME TO THE WANAKA LAKEFRONT As one of New Zealand’s fastest and access recreational activities Rakaihautu beached his canoe at attacks, lost his life and the area was growing districts, Wanaka is a on the lake. Visitors and locals use Whakatū (Nelson). From Whakatū, abandoned by Waitaha. Wanaka is desirable place that many people the reserves for a mixture of passive Rakaihautu divided the new arrivals noted in history to be a place where are choosing to live and work in. and active pursuits, and a range in two, with his son taking one party the last battle between North and WELCOME // LAKEFRONT From longtime residents to recent of facilities have been provided by to explore the coastline southwards South Island tribes occurred. The 2 arrivals, the community has a Council and commercial operators to and Rakaihautu taking another area was occupied again during the TO THE WANAKA higher proportion of 15-65 year olds facilitate this. southwards by an inland route. nineteenth century by families of compared to the rest of the Otago On his inland journey southward, Kati Mamoe and Kai Tahu who came region, who enjoy the variety of This section outlines the factors that Rakaihautu used his famous kō (a from their coastal bases for seasonal environments the area has to offer. specifically define the character of tool similar to a spade) to dig the visits. the reserves. principal lakes of Te Wai Pounamu, Wanaka has also become an ever- including Wanaka. The name “Wanaka” is considered increasing popular summer and by some to be a South Island variant winter holiday location for many For Ngāi Tahu, traditions such as of the word “wānanga” which national and international visitors, 2.1 // CULTURAL this represent the links between the refers to the ancient schools of attracted by the beauty of the HISTORY – cosmological world of the gods and learning. In these schools, Ngāi Tahu surrounding landscape, mountains, present generations. These histories tohunga (men of learning) would be lake, and the numerous recreational NGAI TAHU reinforce tribal identity and solidarity, taught whakapapa (genealogies) pursuits that this region offers. and continuity between generations, which stretched back to over a Wanaka is one of the lakes referred and document the events which hundred generations and karakia to in the tradition of “Ngā Puna Wai The reserves covered by this shaped the environment of Te Wai (incantations) for innumerable Karikari o Rakaihautu” which tells plan are located on the southern, Pounamu and Ng i Tahu as an iwi. situations. All of this learning they how the principal lakes of Te Wai ā eastern and western edges of Lake would be required to commit Pounamu were dug by the rangatira Wanaka, between Glendhu Bay In 1836, Te Puoho, a rangatira of to memory. (chief) Rakaihautu. and the Clutha Outlet. They provide the North Island Ngati Tama iwi opportunities both to enjoy the had plans of conquering Te Wai Rakaihautu was the captain of the beauty of the surrounding landscape Pounamu, but after a campaign of canoe, Uruao, which brought the tribe, Waitaha, to New Zealand. Wanaka Lakefront Reserves Management Plan Queenstown Lakes District Council 6 2.2 // LANDSCAPE • Rippon Vineyard to the Valley, framed by Roys Peak to the The shoreline changes between the northern end of Bremner Bay south and Rocky Mountain, the head of the bay with its extensive The landscape in the eastern part Recreation Reserve roche moutonée to the northwest gravel beaches to the outer bay, of Wanaka Basin, which extends of the bay. The seasonal colours of which contains mid-sized rocks between Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea • Bremner Bay Recreation Reserve these trees are widely appreciated and only small pocket beaches.