Page | 1 September 2017

Southland District Council Southland Open Space Priority Settings

Prepared by Xyst Limited with Dave Bamford Tourism Authors: Dave Bamford, Anne Relling and Paul Wilson

13 September 2017

6.3.6 18 Contents 6.3.7 Clifden 19 6.3.8 19 1 Introduction 1 6.3.9 19 1.1 Project brief 1 6.3.10 Cosy Nook 20 2 Executive summary 2 6.3.11 Colac bay 20 6.3.12 Riverton 20 3 Visitors to Southland 3 6.3.13 Oban 21 3.1 context 3 6.3.14 Edendale, Wyndham and surrounding community halls 21 3.1.1 Visitors 3 6.3.15 Lumsden 21 3.1.2 Spend 3 6.3.16 Tokanui and Southern Scenic Route 22 3.1.3 Nights 3 6.3.17 , Nightcaps, Drummond, and 22 3.2 Southland region and districts 3 6.3.18 Scenic and District Reserves 23 3.3 Visitor spend in Southland 4 6.3.19 and Thornbury 24 3.3.1 Domestic spending 4 6.3.20 Winton, Dipton, Browns, Limehills and Ryal Bush 24 3.4 Visitors staying in commercial accommodation in Southland 5 6.3.21 Balfour, Riversdale, 25 3.5 International visitors to Southland 5 6.3.22 Fortrose, Tararua Acre, Weir’s Beach, and Waikawa: the 3.5.1 Indicator Information regarding visitor use in Southland 10 Catlin’s Heritage Trail 25 3.5.2 Te Araroa Trail 11 6.3.23 Curio Bay 26 4 The visitor experience 12 7 Key issues and opportunities 27 4.1 Needs of residents 13 7.1 Signage 27 5 Service levels 14 7.2 Toilets 27 5.1 Quality facilities 14 7.3 Public dump stations 27 6 The open space network 16 7.4 Litter 28 7.5 Drinking water 28 6.1 Assessments 16 7.6 Recreation planning 28 6.2 Visitor survey 16 8 Role of other agencies 29 6.2.1 Results 16 6.3 Mararoa Waimea 17 8.1 New Zealand Transport Agency 29 6.3.1 Garston 17 8.2 Department of Conservation 30 6.3.2 Athol 17 8.3 Environment Southland 30 6.3.3 Five rivers 17 8.4 Neighbouring Councils 30 6.3.4 17 9 Freedom camping 31 6.3.5 18 9.1 NZS 5465 Amendment No.2 32 9.2 Freedom camping strategy 32 12 Costs 42 9.3 Potential legislative changes 32 13 Summary 42 10 Priority Sites 33 10.1 Evaluative criteria 33 10.2 Kingston to Te Anau 34 10.2.1 Garston/Athol 34 10.2.2 Mossburn 34 10.3 Te Anau 34 10.3.1 Town centre 34 10.3.2 Lakefront 35 10.3.3 Boat Harbour – Te Anau Domain 35 10.4 Te Anau to 35 10.4.1 Clifden Bridge 35 10.4.2 McCrackens rest 35 10.4.3 Gemstone Beach 35 10.4.4 Monkey Island 35 10.4.5 Cosy Nook 36 10.4.6 Colac Bay 36 10.4.7 Lumsden 36 10.4.8 Taramea Bay Recreation Reserve 36 10.4.9 More’s Scenic Reserve 37 10.4.10 Curio Bay 37 10.4.11 Camping - Catlins Heritage Trail 37 10.4.12 Waituna Lagoon Road 38 10.4.13 Photopoints 38 11 Funding requirements 39 11.1 Funding opportunities 39 11.1.1 Tourism infrastructure fund 39 11.1.2 Pay for USE 40 11.1.3 Southland Camping Pass 41 11.1.4 Land Sales – rationalisation 41 11.1.5 Lease arrangements 41 11.1.6 Partnerships 42 b. Develop a coordinated district-wide plan that identifies what 1 Introduction level(s) or standard(s) of service should be provided where,

across Southland’s open space infrastructure and priorities for Increasing visitor numbers and shifting demographic/recreational improvement. The plan should: trends are changing who, how, where and why people use (or do not use) Southland District’s open spaces and associated facilities. • be based on the type of experience intended and ensure

that open spaces/facilities are fit for purpose both now and The Open Space Priority Settings project seeks to provide a strategic in the future; approach to the management of the open spaces managed by the

Council with the focus on ensuring the needs and expectations of • determine the criteria used to evaluate priorities (e.g. residents and visitors are met. linkages with other sites and visitor flow patterns);

1.1 Project brief • identify opportunities (and the merits of) different mechanisms available to fund visitor/tourism-related open Council is seeking to assess and better understand: space/facility development and/or consistent standards across the District; • what is currently being provided in open spaces/facilities and the experience from a user’s perspective; • involve liaising with external and internal stakeholders) to • how this compares to what users expect (in particular for ensure there is no duplication of facilities/expenditure and visitors); that any proposals are in line with other stakeholder • how user demand and expectations are expected to change in objectives/plans (including SoRDS); the future; • what this means for Council in terms of what open • inform policy and planning processes. This will include spaces/facilities should be provided where, for whom and to helping to identify priorities/options/costs/funding for what level/standard; projects in Council’s 2018 Long Term Plan; the merits of • what the priorities are and what needs to be done to address and opportunity to apply for infrastructure funding from the any gaps/issues; Tourism Infrastructure Fund, the nature of any changes • what level of expenditure/funding is needed and options for how needed to the local regulatory / bylaw / resource planning this should be funded? framework controlling open space use (e.g. Freedom

Camping Bylaw) and opportunities for changes to the Specifically, the Open Space Priority Settings project seeks to: Council’s funding policies for open spaces and facilities (e.g. new revenue generation from visitors or self-funding a. Develop a better understanding of current and future user needs ideas). (including expectations and demand) and any gaps from what is currently provided across Council’s open spaces/facilities. • Share any insights about how the management/funding of

open spaces and associated facilities by Council could be improved to deliver better outcomes.

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2 Executive summary Visitors primarily need clear sign’s and safe facilities that are appropriately maintained for the setting and be seen to be cared for

and loved by the community. The open spaces managed by the Council are important for the health and well-being of local residents and make a significant contribution to The key challenges facing the Council in the management and visitor’s experience of Southland. Whether visitors are residents of development of its open space are: , from further afield or international visitors, their impression of Southland is in part formed by the presentation of public places and 1. Providing appropriate community facilities that are fit for the facilities within them. purpose and are relevant for the needs of local communities

for the future. Positive experiences increase pride in the region and encourages more people to live and play in Southland. 2. Determining the best approach to freedom camping for

Southland. Freedom camping is likely to continue to be a Tourism in Southland is significant with over 800,000 visitors going to popular way to experience Southland. There is potential to , over 100,000 to Curio Bay and over 36,000 to Stewart develop many of the Council’s reserves as freedom camping Island. The Southland tourism experience is an important part of New sites however this would come at considerable on-going cost Zealand’s Tourism offer. Currently New Zealand hosts over 3.6 million to ratepayers with uncertain economic benefits. visitors, and this has been growing at around 10% and arrivals continue to grow. It is estimated that this growth will continue at 4.5% 3. Funding the development, maintenance and renewal of and reach around 5 million visitors by 2024. infrastructure to meet the needs of local communities and

visitors While there have been some notable exceptions, facility development within the open spaces managed by the Council has been modest over Considerable investment in the design and improvement of facilities is the last 30 years despite a sustained period of extraordinary tourism required to make Southland’s public spaces attractive. growth.

While the Queenstown – Milford Sound route will always be the most Funding does not appear to have been sufficiently prioritised into the significant visitor corridor in the district there is potential to increase districts open space compared with other similar districts. It is also visitor flows along the Southern Scenic Route from Te Anau to Curio evident that there is a clear lack of professional design input into the Bay. Emphasis on facility development for visitors should be placed on majority of developments and some facility improvement has the these two routes. appearance of being ad hoc and incremental.

The funding base for facility development will need to be widened. Communities need affordable access to basic recreation and Grouping facility development projects together as packages of work community facilities such as playgrounds, sports fields and courts, will assist in attracting funding from partners including government. walkways and cycle trails and community halls.

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3 Visitors to Southland

3.1 New Zealand context 3.1.1 VISITORS New Zealand currently attracts 3,614,000 international visitor arrivals per annum, and this is forecast to grow by 4.48% p.a. to 4.9 million arrivals by 2023. , China, the US and the UK are the key source markets (in order of significance). Of these visitors, 1,883,000 were holiday visitors, and 1,044,000 visiting friends and relatives. 1 3.1.2 SPEND International visitor expenditure accounted for $14.5 billion, and domestic visitor expenditure accounted for $20.2 billion2. Total international spend is expected to reach $15 billion in 2023, up 52% from 2016. Most of this forecasted growth is expected to come from holidaymakers and those visiting friends and relatives.

3.1.3 NIGHTS For the year ended June 2017, there were 38,957,936 guest nights, an increase of 1,392,551 (3.7%) from the previous year. International visitors made up 16,915,230 nights (up 8.3% on previous year), and domestic visitors made up 22,042,708 nights (up 0.4% on previous year).3

3.2 Southland region and districts4 The focus of this report is on the Southland District. However, as visitors travel to attractions and places via this district (e.g. Invercargill) Figure 1 Visitor Spending for years 2009 - 2017 it is important to understand trends for the broader region. At a regional

1 3 MBIE year ending May 2017 Statistics New Zealand, Commercial Accommodation Monitor, year ending April 2017 2 4 MBIE year ending March 2016. Note not all domestic expenditure will be tourism related. (Note: Southland Region has been used rather than the Regional Tourism Organisation boundary so as to include )

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 3 and district level the best indication of visitor trends is via visitor spend, International visitor spending in Southland region was $262 million; the commercial accommodation used, international visitors (and DOC track majority of which was spent in Southland District ($200 million), use and Qrious5 data if available). followed by $52 million in Invercargill and $10 million in Gore, with the majority being spent on food and beverage services, retail (especially 3.3 Visitor spend in Southland fuel), other passenger transport, and accommodation. Key international markets for Southland region are Australia, the USA, Europe and the Visitor spend6 in the Southland region for the year ending June 2017 UK, and Asia.

Figure 2 Distribution of visitor spend in Southland was $619 million. This has been steadily increasing over the past five years. Of this $619 million, Southland District received $330 million, Invercargill City $219 million and Gore District $70 million (refer figure 2).

The majority of spend in Southland Region was by domestic visitors ($357 million) with the key areas of spend being retail, other passenger transport, food and beverage and accommodation (refer figure 3).

3.3.1 DOMESTIC SPENDING Domestic spending in the region has been increasing over the past five years. Domestic visitors in Southland District spent $130 million, $167 million in Invercargill and $60 million in Gore, with the majority being spent on retail, transport and food and beverage. Domestic tourism spending figures should be treated with some caution due to the difficulty of separating visitor spending from local spending. Figure 3 Visitor spending by product and country

5 Qrious is a Data analytics service delivered by Spark Venture company that analyses Spark mobile phone location data 6 MBIE, Regional Tourism Estimates, year ending June 2017

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3.4 Visitors staying in commercial Compared with other regions in New Zealand, Southland has a high ratio of visitors to population.11 accommodation in Southland Commercial accommodation7 used in the region provides another indication of visitor patterns, however there is a high number of visitors undertaking day trips to Te Anau/ Milford Sound from Queenstown. It also excludes visitors staying in private accommodation. For Southland District, there were approximately 407,044 visitors per annum staying an average of 1.87 days over the past year. Visitor numbers and nights have been increasing steadily over the past five years.

Invercargill City attracts approximately 283,708 guests, staying an average of 1.71 days. Growth over the past five years has been relatively modest and the previous year has seen a slight decrease in visitor arrivals.

3.5 International visitors to Southland There were approximately 464,485 international visitors to Southland Region in the year to September 2016, up from 337,422 in the previous year. Of these visitors, 425,209 were estimated to have visited Southland District, and 102,447 to have visited Invercargill City8

Key places of interest visited by international visitors in Southland Region per annum include: 760,000 Milford Sound scenic boat visitors, plus approximately another 80,000 day visitors (source DOC), 272,458 9 to Te Anau, 67,935 to Invercargill, 36,000 to Stewart Island, and 4,026 10 to Kaka Point Figure 4 Locations visited by international tourists 2015

7 Statistics New Zealand, Commercial Accommodation Monitor, year end June 2017 10 MBIE, International Visitor Survey estimated average from previous five years, 8 Statistics New Zealand, International Visitor Survey http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research- 9 Stewart Island Visitor levy figures 2017 data/ivs/international-visitors-nights-interactive-map 11 MBIE, Tourism Insight Series, Tourism Infrastructure, August 2016

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Figure 5 Estimated international visitor numbers and nights to Te Anau - average for the past five years.

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Figure 6 Estimated visitor numbers and nights to Invercargill - average for the past five years.

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Figure 7 Estimated visitor numbers and nights to Stewart Island - average for the past five years. (note actual 36,000 in 2017)

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Figure 8 Estimated visitor numbers and nights to Kaka Point - average for the past five years.

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stopping off for camping/ walks/rest stops in Southland District. These include:

Table 1 Season trends for DOC recreational sites in Southland12

Campsite 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 Cascade Creek 4507 8651 24976 26708 Henry Creek 3802 7146 11525 6910 Deer Flat 211 374 1955 2101 Mackay Creek 693 787 1693 988 Upper Eglinton 449 1023 1313 1117 Totara 627 902 1300 1226 Kiosk Creek 361 620 1105 1195 Walker Creek 187 806 524 470 Lake Gunn 3208 3457 closed closed Smithy Creek 247 249 closed closed Mavora Lakes n/a 4606 5786 5868

There were approximately 150,000 visitors through the Catlin’s Coastal Region over the past year13. Specific locations include: • Curio Bay - 88,616 • – 84,000 YTD, (4 months of data left to capture

Figure 9 Ratio of annual visitor nights and visitor counts to population 2015 for 2017_ • - 58,528 • Waituna Lagoon - 3602 3.5.1 INDICATOR INFORMATION REGARDING VISITOR • Waipohatu - 2510

USE IN SOUTHLAND Use of the Rakiura Track has risen from 2,748 bookings in 2010/11 to 14 There is useful data from DOC counters for campsites and tracks in 6028 in 2015/16. Approximately 50% of users are domestic visitors Southland District that provide an indication of how many people are

12 DOC Te Anau 2017 14 Extracted from OIA request 13 DOC Murihiku https://fyi.org.nz/request/4869/response/15886/attach/html/3/16%20E%20377%20Maree%20S mith%20Great%20Walks%20Nov%202016.pdf.html

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The SDC should consider investing in visitor monitoring at its own sites These figures confirm visitation has increased on the previous year. including installing counters in public toilets and on trails. A visitor monitoring strategy should be prepared. 3.5.2 TE ARAROA TRAIL

Data from Geozone (an app used by campervans) provides an Trail walkers on Te Araroa start their journey at Cape Reinga and after 2800 km enter Southland and pass through Mossburn, Ohai, Otautau, indication of the routes used by free and independent travelers in Colic Bay and Riverton (Mores Reserve). These 550 through Southland (See Appendix 3). An estimated 47 percent (97,013 walkers16stay in Southland – somewhere. In addition, it is estimated vehicles) of campervan traffic in Southland travelled to Milford in 2016, another 500 walkers also use the Southland sections of the Trail. 42 percent (87,110 vehicles) on the Lumsden/ Te Anau road, 28 percent (58,506 vehicles) on the Tuatapere / Te Anau road, 28 percent Given the 50% annual growth of use of the Trail in the last three years (58,477 vehicles) on the Lumsden/ Invercargill road, 14 percent it is likely that use of the Southland section of the trail will continue. (28,084 vehicles) to Bluff and 24 percent via (49,190 This will potentially impact on public facilities including toilets and vehicles) (refer figure below). camping sites.

Table 2 Campervan Travel Routes in Southland 2016 Jan – Dec (GeoZone)/Venture Southland

Route % of vehicles15 SH6 Frankton-Five Rivers 58% SH94 Te Anau-Milford Sound 47% SH94 Mossburn-Te Anau 42% Southern Scenic Route Lorneville-Te Anau 28% SH6 Invercargill-Lumsden 28% Southern Scenic Route Invercargill-Balclutha 24% SH97 Five Rivers-Mossburn 23% SH1 Invercargill-Gore 18% SH1 Invercargill-Bluff 14% SH1 Gore-Balclutha 12% SH94 Gore-Lumsden 10% SH90 Raes Junction-Gore 2%

15 Note: Due to sporadic scattered app usage of app usage at routes and rounding, 16 (2016-17 season figures source - Teararoa.org.nz May 2017) percentages may not always appear to add up to 100%.

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4 The visitor experience Clearly not all of these influences can be controlled by the Council. Nonetheless the open spaces managed by the Council can have a

significant impact on a visitor’s overall impression of Southland and A visitor’s experience of Southland is determined by a broad range of therefore promote Southland to more people. influences, some of which are shown below;

New Zealand’s natural environment remains the key reason for visitors to come to New Zealand and satisfaction remains high with our built and natural environment.17

Visitors have the following basic needs from the parks and open spaces provided by the Council:

1. Clear wayfinding – the ability to locate places they want to visit and be informed and directed to what is on offer

2. Safe facilities – facilities and services provided should be safe to use. Structures such as bridges and playgrounds need to be well maintained and services such as drinking water needs to be clean and safe to drink. Parks and public places should feel safe to visit and be designed in accordance with crime prevention through environmental design.

3. Good environment – facilities should be appropriately maintained for the setting and be seen to be cared for and loved by the community. Facilities need to be designed to protect the environment from impacts caused by visitors

Figure 10 Visitor experience

17 Tourism New Zealand Insights extracted from http://www.tourismnewzealand.com/markets- stats/research/infographics/visitor-experience/

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4.1 Needs of residents With the desire to make Southland a family friendly region, the Council will need to maintain focus on the playground reserves, keeping the Residents predominately require facilities that are fit for purpose and playgrounds up to date and at some sites this could include additional affordable. Within the open space asset this primarily means sufficient nature play areas. Safe walking and cycling opportunities are a great access to facilities such as: way for families to spend time together and they tend to strengthen a communities’ connection to their place. Use of the many south coast • playgrounds bays and beaches for swimming, beachcombing, picnicking and BBQ’s • playing fields are a popular pastime. For the local youth skateparks, pump tracks and • tennis or ideally multi-purpose courts court space with a hoop are some of the options to give them a • community halls communal place “to hang out”. • walking and cycling opportunities • picnicking facilities Community centres and public halls are often important venues for • dog walking/exercise areas playgroup’s, playcentre and Mainly Music type programmes as well as other community social functions. With the continued growth of the Southland has a relatively static population and the Southland dairy industry and the relative high changeover of dairy employees Regional Strategy 2015 outlined this as a key problem to be addressed these venues become even more important to support new arrivals to grow the economy to give a brighter future for the region. The goal feeling connected and settled within a community. This is especially is to increase the population to 10,000 by 2025. Jobs and education important for migrant arrivals who are less likely to be involved in the are the initial drawcards however quality of lifestyle, leisure traditional New Zealand sports such as rugby and netball. opportunities and environment will nurture the desire to stay. Southland is no different from the rest of New Zealand in that there is a The environment in Southland is world class given the outstanding growing older (65+) population who are increasingly active. Safe landscapes of , Stewart Island and the Catlins. walking and cycling opportunities are being sought after by this group Residents also treasure the South coast; their family getaway places to keep active and social. Voluntary projects such as historic such as Mavora Lakes, Piano Flat; the more rugged Takitimu restoration and native habitat replanting are often strongly supported Mountains and the Longwood Range; and the small gems like Forest by retirees and they encourage a sense of pride in a place. Hill, Dunsdale, More’s Scenic Reserve and Waipohatu. Many Southlanders are boastful of the bounty of places to go hunting, An ample distribution of sports fields and courts is a vital component of camping, fishing, diving, surfing, tramping and boating. It should be any Council’s recreation facility supply. Sports teams are often the upon the Council to enable these traditional outdoor activities to take lifeblood of the rural community providing for valued recreation and place, and often facilitating access (road or pedestrian) is all that is social interaction for players and spectators alike. With the decreasing required. Boat ramps are often a forgotten asset but are critical to resident numbers in some rural towns sports participants are many of these activities. sometimes having to travel further to recreation grounds but this is

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unlikely to impact on the uptake. Clear signage to direct new arrivals 5 Service levels and visitors to recreation grounds is important. Considerable work has been done in New Zealand on the development

of open space categories and service levels to help ensure visitors The uptake of cycling (both mountain and road cycling) by New experience a consistent level of service and communities can Zealanders over the last 10 to 20 years has been huge and Southland determine an appropriate and affordable levels of service to meet the is no different. The Te Anau to Manapouri Cycle Trail is likely to bring needs of the community and visitors. increasing numbers of cyclists to Manapouri. Further opportunities for

mountain biking tracks on Council land may be sought in the future. The New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) established an There are also private mountain biking tourism operators and Welcome industry standard for the application of open space categories together Rock above Garston is a great example of this. with an associated levels of service framework in 2011. This has

recently been reviewed and refined and it is recommended that the SDC should formally categorise its open spaces using the NZRA categories and develop service levels under these categories.

The categories provide a baseline framework for individual organisations to utilise as appropriate to their circumstances.

In broad terms, the categories selected are based on the following factors: i) Character (what the park looks like) ii) Purpose (what the park is used for) iii) Level of service (standard of provision, development and maintenance)

The NZRA Parks Category Framework also provides a range of recommended management standards which guides the level of asset provision and maintenance.

Figure 11 Te Anau Pump Track The NZRA Parks Category Framework is included as Appendix 2.

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5.1 Quality facilities The quality of facilities influences the visitors experience of a site. It is important to provide facilities that are appropriate for the site and are well design and well placed. Professional landscape design or recreation planning advice can often assist with:

• Planting that is appropriate for the site (species selection, density of planting) and can be successfully established and maintained as well as contribution to biodiversity and habitat restoration • Control of vehicles and pedestrians through a variety of techniques to minimise infrastructure requirements and avoid degradation of sites and safety conflicts • Design and placement of furniture and structures that are durable, attractive, fit for purpose and adds to placemaking • Consideration of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles to reduce vandalism and increase public safety

As with all professional services having a good control on the brief and ensuring that those engaged can produce practical and fit-for purpose designs.

While local solutions have their place, investment in design and planning and the use of proven and standardised designs for facilities such as toilets, bins, signs and furniture can reduce costs and ensure facilities are safe and can be maintained in the long term.

Improved facility planning, design and asset management will result in improved outcomes for residents and visitors, a reduction in ad hoc and reactive decision making and more sustainable facility development.

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6 The open space network 6.2 Visitor survey The open space network managed by the SDC is characterised by Where visitors were using sites, they were requested to participate in a predominately small domains reserves primarily established to meet short survey asking the following questions: the needs of local communities. Council administers about 1250 hectares of reserves, including 34 sports fields and 36 playgrounds. 1. Travel mode?

2. Origin Only a few reserves have been established for their outstanding 3. Where did you come from today? natural, scenic or recreation values that would be attractive to 4. Where will you stay tonight? international visitors in their own right. Yet a number of reserves are 5. Why did you visit this park? now catering for significant levels of use and there is a need to ensure 6. How would you rate the standard of this site (1-5 stars) that the facilities available in the reserves are fit for purpose and add to 7. Did the facilities and presentation of this site meet your the quality of the experience for visitors and encourage visitors to expectations? spend further time in Southland and tell others.

6.2.1 RESULTS 6.1 Assessments As the majority of site assessments/surveys were undertaken mid- Each open space managed by Council was visited (with some minor week and in winter, numbers of visitors encountered was relatively low exceptions) and assessed for: as expected. Seven surveys were completed, as such the results should not be considered as representative. • level and condition of existing facility development (facilities) • signage Visitors interviewed were independent travellers travelling by non-self- • site values (ecology, cultural, heritage, recreation etc) contained campervan (four) or car (three) with domestic visitors • standard of maintenance accounting for (three) of visitors followed by International visitors (two) • social media comments and Southland residents (two). • use (international, domestic and resident) • visitor experience Everyone felt facilities on site had met their expectations and five rated • development potential the site four stars while two rated the site five stars. • potential for MBIE Tourism Infrastructure funding The reason for visiting included stopping for view (three) free camping Recommendations were made for each site and each site was given a (two) playground (one) and walking (one) percentage score against the criteria developed. The two international visitors were heading from Te Anau to Milford and from Te Anau to Wanaka. Both had stayed overnight at Lumsden. Domestic visitors were making daytrips from Kingston to Lumsden or

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Invercargill to Waikawa. Residents were making local trips to local The site would benefit from an overall landscape plan to guide future reserves. development.

Reason for Visit 6.3.2 ATHOL The two key facilities in Athol are the community centre and the recreation reserve. The toilets in the Community Centre are adequate for local use however their location is not ideal as they are somewhat obscured. The recreation reserve is largely a conventional rugby field 14% Free to camp and clubroom building. Some minor improvements are currently being 29% Playground made to the site.

View Expansion or redevelopment of the toilet facilities should be avoided 43% 14% Walk until an overall plan for toilet provision is prepared.

6.3.3 FIVE RIVERS The community hall at Five Rivers is on the main tourist route between Figure 12 Reason for travel to reserves Queenstown and Te Anau. The hall meets local needs and no additional facility development is recommended. There would be benefit in undertaking a survey such as the NZRA Yardstick Visitor Measures survey to determine use and satisfaction 6.3.4 MOSSBURN with open spaces from a visitor perspective. The Mossburn Adventure Park Playground is a large community facility that has been adapted to cope with visitors passing through Mossburn. 6.3 Mararoa Waimea The toilets have been refitted to manage the peak loading associated 6.3.1 GARSTON with passing coach traffic. As with Garston the site lacks an overall presence that encourages visitors to stop and enjoy what the site has The Garston Village Green playground and toilets have developed over to offer. recent years as a popular rest stop for visitors passing through Garston. The toilets have been expanded and redeveloped and there The site would benefit from an overall landscape plan to guide future is good quality visitor information on site. The site lacks the overall development. cohesiveness required to become a desirable stop for visitors and to stimulate the economic development of the adjacent businesses.

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6.3.5 TE ANAU The boat harbor area and lakefront north of the boat harbor to the Rodeo Grounds is generally undeveloped and offers a significantly The open spaces in Te Anau can be broadly divided into local different experience of than the more sheltered bay reserves/neighbourhood parks to serve the residents and premier adjacent to the town centre. Improving the connection from the boat parks for residents and visitors alike. harbor north would be worthwhile including separating vehicle and

pedestrian traffic. 6.3.5.1 Local reserves Local reserves are generally under developed with modest play An overall lighting plan should also be considered for the town centre facilities and walkways. New reserves in subdivisions have variable as it appears very dark at night and many of the existing lights are level of design and development. The Te Anau Gardens has seen reaching the end of their life. We understand an upgrade is proposed introduction of a very good pump track and skatepark but the siting of to LED lighting using existing poles. This will not necessarily yield any these does not seem to have been well considered. The park has significant improvement and more coherent main street improvement considerable potential but needs long term development plan. plan (for example see recent improvements in Balcultha) should be considered.

6.3.5.2 Premier parks 6.3.6 MANAPOURI The town centre gardens are attractive and generally well maintained however they could be considerably better with improved planning and The surrounds of the Community Centre are currently unattractive and design. Anzac Reserve/Little Lake Te Anau is maintained to a high poorly utilised. These have potential to be redeveloped to serve local standard yet the water feature is hidden from most visitors and there is needs and cope with peak season parking requirements especially for a poor connection to the larger Te Anau Gardens. buses and boat trailers.

The Lions Park has had some recent development but is not to the The upper car park area off View Street could be formalised for car and standard that is common in most Council facilities around New campervan parking Zealand. The exception is the public toilets/showers which are a high standard facility. Other reserves are undeveloped with uncertain functions. They would benefit from careful planting now to be established as public spaces The waterfront walkway has strong potential to be redeveloped as an and give flexibility for future use. attractive promenade/shared use cycleway and be the start of the Te Anau – Manapouri cycle trail as well as connecting all the key facilities Frasers Beach and the commercial area between Frasers Beach and from the Boat Harbour to the Wildlife Park. With professional design Pearl Harbour is disjointed. There is no clear sense of arrival in and community input the redevelopment of the promenade would be a Manapouri and this feeds a tendency for visitors to carry on to Pearl significant project to enhance the appearance of Te Anau. Harbour.

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Preparing a concept plan for the enhancement of this area would be 6.3.8 TUATAPERE beneficial to place a greater focus on the Manapouri businesses and the interface with Frasers Beach. The Tuatapere Domain is a significant site with potential for development.

6.3.7 CLIFDEN The Jack and Mattie Bennett Memorial Playground and Greenheart The Clifden Bridge is a popular picnic and overnight camping site. The Reserve are both well developed and very pleasant with little need for small size of the site naturally limits the numbers of campers and further improvements (other than continuing planting efforts). keeps an appropriate balance between day use and overnight use. Minor improvements to drainage, rationalisation of signage and the Information boards are located at the Blackmount Monowai turnoff improvement of the fire place would be desirable. Promotion of the which provides information on Lake Monowai and tramping Clifden Caves at this location would also be desirable. opportunities beyond Borland Lodge. Similar information is provided in Tuatapere with regards to the Hump Ridge Track and other Additional camping space could be developed on the true left approach opportunities for tramping and jet boat activities in Fiordland National Bates Road in future. This area is currently unkempt and has been Park. These boards could be consistently themed throughout used to stockpile roading materials in the past. Southland to raise awareness among visitors of the value of these as visitor information stops and promote other visitor attractions.

6.3.9 OREPUKI McCrackens Rest is a popular and well developed viewpoint. Minor improvements to landscaping would be benefical. The current approach of directing visitors to toilets at Tuatapere or Orepuki is a good approach at this time given the isolated nature of the site. Further development at the site or significantly increased numbers of visitors may necessitate the need to provide public toilets.

Gemstone Beach has potential for further development. We understand access improvements to the state highway are being progressed with NZTA. Sensitive development of the car park, access road and beach access should be programmed as this site is likely to receive increased visitation.

Monkey Island is a site with excellent potential. It natural environment

Figure 13 Clifden Suspension Bridge site and history of the site provide for a memorable visit. Sadly, the site is

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 19 quite degraded with run down facilities. Improvements on this site development is also likely to detract from the unique qualities of the including toilets and development of sheltered camping areas would be Cosy Nook. justified to improve the visitor experience and protect the environment.

With improvements this site would receive significant use and has 6.3.11 COLAC BAY potential to be able to be charged for to recover some costs. Facilities include the Colac Bay Hall, playground and freedom camping

Facilities within the township of Orepuki are suitable for expected area at the end of Colac Bay Foreshore Road. The freedom camping levels of use. site is used by tourists but is also popular with southland residents over the Christmas period. Providing water at this site would facilitate greater use and enable improved toilet facilities to be introduced. Improving shelter to the camping areas would also be beneficial.

6.3.12 RIVERTON Riverton is an appealing coastal town within comfortable commuting distance for those that work in Invercargill. The Southern Scenic Route brings many tourists through the centre of town and it is a popular spot for Southland residents. To a lesser scale 1-2000 Te Araraoa walkers come round the coast from Colac Bay and then traverse More’s Scenic Reserve before crossing the bridge and continuing on to Bluff. More’s Scenic Reserve is a district treasure for its ecological values and importance to the Southern coastal landscape. The facilities at the reserve are adequate for current use however it is suggested that consideration is given to safe pedestrian access (alongside Richard St) from the reserve down to the urban edge where the footpaths begin.

Riverton has a number of reserves on prime waterfront locations

Figure 14 Gemstone Beach parking area including Koi Koi Park, Taramea Bay Recreation Reserve and the Pilot Reserve. A wonderful shared walking and biking path could be 6.3.10 COSY NOOK developed from the bridge to the far end of Taramea Bay Recreation Reserve. The public toilets at the latter (the bunker) are very dated Cosy Nook is a unique and interesting place but is somewhat off the with tiny windows covered in grill and the site warrants a new toilet beaten track. Facilities are basic and other than being renewed in the block using natural light and encompassing a changing area for future are appropriate for the setting. The limited space available swimmers. within the road reserve limits potential facility development. Further

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 20

The town is well served with playgrounds with the extensive play area The Wyndham Wildlife Refuge situated between the edge of town and at Taramea Bay on the foreshore and the more compact, centrally the Mataura River has the potential to become a popular site for both located one at Palmerston Street. residents and visitors. There is obviously community interest with 6.3.13 OBAN native planting and a walking track installed. By enhancing this area with further native planting and perhaps extending the track it would The key visitor facilities provided by the Council include the Museum add to the attractiveness of Wyndham as a place to settle. and small playground on the waterfront in Halfmoon Bay and at Butterfield Beach. Traill Park provides for local sporting needs. A number of community halls surround the two towns and they include: Brydone, Seaward Downs, old school Seaward Downs, Menzies Ferry, Visitor information is well catered for with the Real Journeys Visitor and Mokoreta-Redan. They range from well-used, Centre, Department of Conservation Visitor Centre and various other maintained and supported e.g. Brydone, Seaward Downs, to nominal commercial business offering visitor information. use and no maintenance e.g. old school Seaward Downs, Menzies Ferry. It is understood a review of these halls and their future use is The key visitor facility requirement is for public toilets and at present underway. these are well located at the key visitor destinations.

6.3.15 LUMSDEN A landscape plan for the redevelopment of the foreshore at Halfmoon Bay could be considered when existing assets are requiring renewal. The central reserve in Lumsden serves as a village green for this small rural community. The reserve is neatly surrounded by retail, café’s, 6.3.14 EDENDALE, WYNDHAM AND SURROUNDING and accommodation. The reserve contains a wealth of facilities for COMMUNITY HALLS both residents and visitors alike. The playground and skatepark appear to be well-used resources for young people. Both Edendale and Wyndham have central playgrounds set amongst attractive garden settings. They allow a safe place to play for local In the middle of the reserve is the old railway station and platform with families with small children and a pleasant picnic spot for travellers. restored carriage on-site. This is part of an ongoing community The recreation grounds in both towns are extensive, catering for project, the Lumsden Railway Precinct, that is preserving some of the multiple sports and provide an area for freedom campers albeit low use early Northern Southland rail history. The parking, platform and at this stage. If numbers of freedom campers increased substantially adjacent green space is a designated freedom camping site and at Edendale this may impact on resident use of this site. However proving to be very popular. The popularity stems from being the tourist use of this area is fairly low as most are travelling on the closest free campsite to Te Anau and Milford Sound, and may have Southern Scenic Route or State Highway 6. The facilities provided at been exacerbated by DOC increasing its fees at campsites on the these township reserves are fit for purpose and cater to the local Milford Road. Also freedom campers are attracted to this site by the population allowing for some growth.

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 21

24 hour free Wifi transmitted from the library18 The numbers peaked at accommodation will help facilitate this. Also the Weir’s Beach and 108 vehicles a night over the 2016/17 summer period19, and it is hoped Waikawa freedom camping sites; and the Curio Bay campground are will self-regulate due to lack of parking space. A development project limited in capacity. is being planned to upgrade the public toilets, tarseal the parking area, addition of kerb and channel, a rubbish compactor and some 6.3.17 OHAI, NIGHTCAPS, DRUMMOND, AND OTAUTAU landscaping. This is with the intention to improve visitor management and to enhance the visitor experience both for the freedom campers Ohai and Nightcaps both have playgrounds associated with picnic and other users of the site. facilities although only the Ohai reserve has public toilets on-site. These toilets are painted a very dark colour and would improve their Some campers could be redirected to the nearby campground within appeal by being painted a lighter colour. Nightcaps has Bank Corner the Lumsden Recreation Reserve. It may attract those willing to pay a Reserve, a pocket park sited on a prominent intersection for travellers low fee to gain extra facilities, power and a sheltered site. passing through or visiting the town. This is an attractive roadside rest area in a garden setting with accessible toilets. Another source of visitors to the town are cyclists on the Round the Mountain Cycle Trail, which includes Lumsden in its route. Cycle trail Nightcaps has the added bonus of McGregor Park, a streamside users are more likely to spend money on accommodation such as reserve situated on the western edge of town. This is a designated motels and BnB’s, and use the available cafés and restaurants. They freedom camping site as well as picnic area and could be improved on are unlikely to place much pressure on the central freedom camping if a toilet block was added. site. Ohai has recreation grounds but these appear to be disused other than the swimming pool. To encourage visitors to use the swimming pool 6.3.16 TOKANUI AND SOUTHERN SCENIC ROUTE (and support a costly asset) a more appealing, inviting entrance could Tokanui township is well serviced by community facilities with a central be added. It would appear residents of Ohai and Nightcaps involved playground/picnic space with toilets, a relatively new community hall with team sports travel to Otautau and Drummond where there are and extensive recreation grounds. There is no designated freedom very good recreation grounds for rugby, netball and tennis etc. A camping site at Tokanui but there is a dump station for use by decision on the future of the Ohai bowling and rugby clubroom campervans. With the sealing of the alternate Catlins Heritage Trail buildings will need to be made if they are no longer of use rather than road in 2017 it is likely that more FIT’s will travel on this more scenic leave them in a dilapidated state. route rather than through Tokanui on the Southern Scenic Route. Otautau has a good range of reserves and recreation facilities provided Many visitors to Catlins will traverse the entire area within a day but which tends to reflect the vibrancy of the community. Centennial Park there are many things for people to see and do. Tourism promoters is the main community park with playground, war memorial, plunket wish to prolong this stay and allowing a full range and distribution of

18 Campermate comments 19 The Southland Times article, July 31st 2017

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 22 rooms, public toilets and BMX track. All facilities appear well used and 6.3.18 SCENIC AND DISTRICT RESERVES fit for purpose. At Holt Park the amenity and plantation trees on the edge of the rugby The purpose of the scenic and district reserves of Tyneholm, Kamahi, Kowhai Reach, Glenure Allan and Dunsdale is either to conserve fields provide a scenic backdrop to the town and no doubt shelter for stands of native vegetation or as casual recreation areas associated outdoor sports. This large reserve is mostly plantation forest but also with DOC conservation reserves such as Glenure Allan and at has rugby fields and pavilion, tennis/netball courts, squash courts, Dunsdale. The protected area reserves are significant for their swimming pool and sports complex. A small pay or donation camping ecological values, importance to the Southland landscape and area is situated next to a toilet block at the back of the park and has a basic playground. Freedom camping is allowed in the parking area education opportunities. next to the sports complex and there are no issues with this. It is a It is unlikely that the two Tyneholm reserves have any potential for fairly unappealing campsite. recreational use other than hunting. The only maintenance required is

fencing, weed and pest control to protect the ecological values. Continuing the theme of amenity and plantation trees, the Alex

McKenzie Aboretum on the road south of Otautau is a large collection of native and exotic trees. They were originally planted as part of the At Kowhai Reach an esplanade reserve protects remnant streamside vegetation on the Winton Stream. The esplanade reserve adjoins a Forest Research Institute’s investigation into viable plantation trees for further streamside area protected by the QEII National Trust. It is the Southland. Now run by a Trust it is an attractive site with information only remaining example of a naturally meandering and relatively on arboretum history, a track to view the trees, open area for picnicking unmodified stream on the Southland Plains. Conservation is the and a freedom camping site. primary purpose of this reserve and adequate fencing is the only

These towns receive very few tourists and those that do visit are more requirement. likely to be intrepid New Zealanders travelling the backroads. They At Glenure Allan, Council provides the rest area where visitors can would support and stay at places such as the Alex McKenzie appreciate the reserve and fabulous views across Northern Southland. Arboretum and McGregor Park with their natural settings. Another It is also an entrance for visitors to access the walking track and for the source of visitors, particularly to Ohai and Otautau, are the Te Araroa local community to undertake voluntary work within the reserve. This Walkers. The trail route runs through the Takitimu Mountains, Woodlaw Forest and the Longwood Range. The walkers need to entrance/rest area is in a poor state and should be improved with a new picnic table and some landscaping. resupply along the way and will head to the nearest town when required. Ohai has no camping area and the most suitable camping in Kamahi and Dunsdale reserves have similarities in visitor use as they Otautau is the small campground at the rear of Holt Park. have established picnic/camping areas adjacent to an area of native

bush with walking track. They would both most likely attract more locals and travelling New Zealanders as opposed to international tourists. Dunsdale has a very attractive setting for the picnic and camping area with a large open space interspersed by native planting

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 23 and overall surrounded by large trees providing great shelter. The two popular. With this high use the addition of adjacent toilets would be of toilet blocks are well spaced, although these and picnic tables are near benefit. The internal gravel roads require improvement. the end of their life and should be replaced soon. The access road in is along a forestry road and ambiguous for first time visitors. It should The Mackenzie Street playground is a great little neighbourhood play have better wayfinding signage installed. area. Although the surrounding trees are attractive care needs to be taken that there is not too much screening from the road. In the future Kamahi Reserve has a smaller grass area for picnicking and camping some may need to be removed to make this playground a safe area to and needs further development. A small gravel carpark should be play. added near the entrance with ability to block off vehicle access onto grass during winter. Design input is required to get layout right. The Ivy Russell Reserve and the patch of native vegetation at More’s Recreation Reserve provide great settings for walking opportunities 6.3.19 WALLACETOWN AND THORNBURY and community involvement with native replanting. As well as attractive garden parks such as Anzac Oval they imbue community Wallacetown and Thornbury are situated on (or near to) the Southern pride in their town. Scenic Route (SH 99). Both have well maintained community playgrounds. Gwen Baker Park is well hidden on a back street of Anzac Oval is a small but important garden park in the centre of Wallacetown and would benefit from direction signage. Ellerslie Winton adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the main street. The Square is a local purpose reserve containing the Community Centre, a large gravel parking area at the rear is available for freedom campers large open grass area and more recently a BMX track at the far end. but is not well supported by campers as considered “a gravel truck The Wallacetown School’s swimming pool, courts and sports fields are stop”. At times trucks come and go from the site at night disrupting all used by the wider community for local sport. sleep. A better site could be More’s Recreation Reserve if residents supported this. The Thornbury Bridge Reserve situated beside the Aparima River is a pleasant picnic and freedom camping site with good shelter and The old school site at Ryal Bush has been put to good use as a amenity trees. Basic facilities: toilets and picnic tables are supplied community hub for the surrounding area. and are fit for purpose for this back road campsite. The Limehills Community Centre parking area is a designated freedom 6.3.20 WINTON, DIPTON, BROWNS, LIMEHILLS AND RYAL camping site. Campers noted it was a sufficient, simple camping site BUSH but was hard to find. This is probably exacerbated because there is no Limehills sign on the State Highway only Centre Bush, causing Winton has a wealth and variety of reserves which should serve this confusion. Better signage would clarify the destination for travelers. vibrant community well. Sports are well catered for at Centennial Park and More’s Recreation Reserve. Centennial Park is obviously a well- loved multipurpose park with the skate park and playground particularly

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 24

Browns Recreation Reserve is primarily used for rugby but also allows for freedom camping. The site is not listed on the Campermate app The recreation reserve in Waikaia covers a large area and allows for and being away from State Highway 6 is considered low use. multiple recreation activities. The sports facilities appear to be well used and maintained. At one end is a small campground and freedom The small rural community of Dipton has an appealing playground and camping is allowed for outside the Community Centre. Indications are rest area despite it being alongside a busy highway. Freedom that the latter is very low use. campers are also able to use the site although it doesn’t appear very popular, a comment about traffic noise may explain why. At Dipton The rest area north of Mandeville (Taylor Park) is a pleasant stop for West, the David Milligan Park is a pleasant open space reserve beside motorists with a mixture of open grass areas, amenity trees and ponds the Oreti River with scattered trees and several patches of fenced but no facilities. This is a designated freedom camping site and native plantings but no facilities. It is also designated for freedom comments were “a quiet, scenic spot and not crowded”. The addition campers but is not listed on the Campermate app. With the addition of of a couple of picnic tables would improve this rest area. some picnic tables it would be a nice place stop. If promoted on Campermate it may act as an overflow for Lumsden albeit 20kms 6.3.22 FORTROSE, TARARUA ACRE, WEIR’S BEACH, AND away. WAIKAWA: THE CATLIN’S HERITAGE TRAIL

6.3.21 BALFOUR, RIVERSDALE, WAIKAIA A fantastic vista of the Waituna Wetlands and Awarua Bay is gained Both Balfour and Riversdale have substantial tracts of green space from the highway before it drops down to Fortrose heading east. If a with amenity plantings giving the towns an attractive appearance. The rest area could be created off the highway it would be a great playgrounds appear well used and are in good locations. State photopoint for tourists. Highway 94 Lumsden to Gore has only low tourist use so playgrounds and reserves are generally used by locals and New Zealanders The Catlins Heritage Trail road is to have the last remaining section of travelling. gravel sealed in 2017. Once this happens it is expected that more tourists will use this route to take in the scenic highlights enroute such Waikaia and in particular Piano Flat (DOC managed protected forest as: Waipapa Point, Slope Point, Curio Bay and Niagara. with campground and tracks) has always been a destination popular with hunters and kiwi families. Now a local community group is The Moray Terrace Recreation Reserve at Fortrose, Weir’s Beach and developing a new museum in Waikaia to tell the history of goldmining the Waikawa Recreation Reserve all have freedom camping sites and farming in the area. This may encourage further people to the situated on the coast and are proving very popular to domestic and area which would be good for Waikaia. Alongside the new museum, international tourists wanting to explore the Catlins Coast. All three which will have public toilets, is Dickson Park with playground and sites require the grass areas used for camping to be drained to avoid picnic facilities. The location works well alongside the museum and the damage that occurs after heavy rain. There is limited capacity at near the shop.

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 25 all three sites however it is considered that the Weir’s Beach site may important to develop the site with good quality facilities as far as be able to be expanded. funding permits. The capacity of the campground is limited and some thought should be given to possible expansion. Communities along the trail seem to be well serviced by community centres and include the Fortrose, Otara and Niagara halls. Locals would head to Tokanui for their club sports.

The Tararua Acre Cemetery is very close to Waipapa Point (lighthouse and wildlife viewing), a DOC site which received 58,000 visitors over the last year. Only a small portion of these visitors would stop to visit the Tararua Acre nevertheless it is an important historic site. To support visitors it is proposed a small carpark is developed near the gate and poles are placed across the paddock to direct people to the cemetery and interpretative information.

6.3.23 CURIO BAY Curio Bay has high natural values, provides great wildlife viewing opportunities and has an internationally significant petrified forest remains. This all contributes to making it a key visitor site for Southland, and one that should set a high standard for facilities. The Catlins Heritage Centre will perfectly enhance what is available on-site. The open space available is limited thereby making it more difficult to allow easy flow of pedestrians and vehicles. The visitor flow to the Heritage Centre and the petrified forest seems to work well with the planned work underway. However, the area in towards the campground where day visitors also go to access the Porpoise Bay beach and headland viewpoint seems poorly laid out and would benefit from further design work.

Recent improvements to the campground facilities are functional however the overall quality of facility development is below that which would be consistent with its status as a key visitor destination. The Heritage Centre will further boost interest in Curio Bay and it is Figure 15 Cosy Nook toilet

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It would be worthwhile reassessing the operating model for this toilet to 7 Key issues and opportunities ensure it is meeting the needs of visitors.

7.1 Signage It was clear that some older toilet designs were now at or nearing the end of their economic life and that other toilets have been modified in Signage was found to be either completely absent or inadequate. an attempt to cope with visitor demands – some less successfully than Seventy percent of reserves were not sign posted from adjacent others. streets or main roads while only 8.5% of reserves had a Council branded entrance sign showing either the reserve name, administrator A common service standard should be developed for remote, basic name or the experiences that were available on site. and high quality toilets to ensure amenities are appropriate to the setting. Where possible standardised and proven designs should 36% of reserves contained some form of warning or regulatory sign generally be used to reduce design and maintenance costs. where 20% contained some form of interpretive sign giving information about local history etc. Toilets are high cost items to both develop and maintain and it would be worthwhile having a specific assessment of existing toilet condition Road style signage was generally used which was uninspiring and and performance to assist in the development of a strategy for toilet while functional provided little information and did not contribute to the provision and funding. visitor experience. There were some notable exceptions including the excellent visitor information shelter at the entrance to Te Anau and on 7.3 Public dump stations the South Coast at McCracken’s Rest. The Council has provided 11 dump stations. These are well distributed Developing an overall wayfinding plan for parks and reserves should and would enable most the visitors to empty campervan holding tanks be a priority for improving the visitor experience and recognition of the frequently. Council as the administrator of the reserves across the district. The design of dump stations and amenities should be addressed 7.2 Toilets however. Most negative comments from campers are regarding the non-standard tap size used by the Council, such that campers cannot Public toilets were generally clean and well maintained. The most use their own hose (as many prefer to do for hygiene reasons) to fill comprehensive facility is the Te Anau serviced toilets. This is an drinking water tanks. excellent facility however the user pays model discourages use. We observed coach tourists urinating against the building in the morning as Other improvements to facilities include lighting, vehicle access and the facility was yet to open and the after-hours toilets could not cope providing freedom camping information at dump station sites. with the peak load of tourists.

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7.4 Litter SDC should consider obtaining professional parks and recreation Providing litter bins at remote sites should be generally avoided. planning advice in-house or utilise external contracted resources to Visitors should be encouraged to ‘carry-in’ – ‘carry-out’ litter to facilities address the above issues and improve the quality and consistency of at town centres where litter can be better managed including providing solutions proposed for parks and recreation facilities. recycling. Providing litter bins at remote sites is very costly and can be difficult to The SDC organisation structure utilises community engineers who are manage at peak times. Overflowing bins or bins damaged by vandals responsible for the full spectrum of issues from roading to waste water can lead to more loose litter than would otherwise occur without litter to parks within their ward. This has the potential to see differing bins. solutions and varying standards. This is not intended as a criticism of the professionalism of the community engineers but rather an Where bins are required, new technology such as ‘smart’ compacting observation that a specialist parks manager/office would provide bins with notification technology could be justified. A review of the cost consistent standards and potentially bring more specialised knowledge and distribution of litter bins cross the district would be worthwhile. and skills.

7.5 Drinking water Greater use of professional landscape architects and recreation planners will result in higher quality and more sustainable outcomes. The provision of clean drinking water is important for visitors, especially those travelling by camper van. Comments on social media often referred to the availability or absence of water. While provision of safe drinking water at remote sites can be difficult, where possible it should be provided. This could be provided in a similar fashion to DOC sites where water is available but users are asked to boil water.

Facilities for bottle filling (such as an exterior tap) should be included in all public toilets that are connected to potable water supplies.

7.6 Recreation planning It is evident from the analysis of the sites and the issues identified that there has possibly been an under investment by the Council in professional parks and recreation advice. Many of the above issues would normally be addressed by a professional parks manager or recreation planner. Figure 16 Gemstone Beach

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8 Role of other agencies

8.1 New Zealand Transport Agency NZTA is responsible for all State Highways and has, over the years, provided many rest areas for travellers. Some 29 official rest areas have been established with some providing facilities such as picnic tables and rubbish bins within the SDC area.

The National State Highway Strategy recognises that NZTA has a responsibility to ensure the provision of stopping places that contribute to safety objectives by providing road users with the opportunity to break their journeys and reduce fatigue.

On most State highways, demand for stopping places is usually met by NZTA through the provision of rest areas, viewing points and similar stopping places. Stopping places are suitable areas of surplus road reserve that have or can be developed to form a safe and attractive off-road parking place for road users. They must have safe entry and exit points readily negotiable by cars, with or without trailers or caravans, and trucks as appropriate20.

The NZTA’s current policy regarding roadside rest areas is to work with local authorities to provide approved rest areas and develop written agreements with regards to maintenance. NZTA currently does not provide toilet facilities at rest areas but does have a policy of providing safe access and egress, signage and litter bins. NZTA rest areas are also excluded from the Freedom Camping Act meaning that anyone can camp overnight at a rest area. Figure 17 NZTA rest areas in Southland Further discussion with NZTA on the management of roadside rest areas and the Regional Highway Stopping Places Strategy would be worthwhile.

20 NZTA SM012 State Highway Control Manual Part 17 – Consolidated Stopping on Highway Sections

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8.2 Department of Conservation DOC administers most of the key visitor destinations in Southland, the largest being Fiordland National Park. SDC and DOC have a positive working relationship and should continue to work together to ensure facility development is planned and maintained in a coordinated way and that actions by one party do not have unintended consequences for the other party.

One example is the possible relationship between camping in the Eglington Valley and freedom camping in Lumsden. DOC reported21 that there was a 40% reduction in occupancy of the Henry Creek conservation campsite (the closest to Te Anau) in the Eglington Valley after DOC increased prices from $6 to $13 per night on 30 June 2016. This would seem to coincide with a significant increase in camper’s freedom camping in Lumsden in the last season.

8.3 Environment Southland Figure 18 Visitor information in Te Anau ES does not manage any land for visitor facilities within the Southland District. In Invercargill City it has provided land and resources for various walkway and cycle ways. There may be opportunities for ES and SDC to work together on recreation facilities where these are associated with catchment management works.

8.4 Neighbouring Councils Close contact should be maintained with the QLDC, and to ensure actions by one Council do not have unintended consequences for other Council’s and opportunities for cooperation or shared services are maximized.

Figure 19 Informal rest area on the Mararoa River at Weir Road

21 Department of Conservation Campsite Report 2016/17

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9 Freedom camping Freedom camping has always been a popular option for low cost travel but the growth in numbers in freedom campers and increasing tensions Freedom camping has become an increasingly popular means for between local communities and freedom campers drove the Tourism independent travelers to visit and stay in New Zealand. Industry Association to facilitate a Freedom Camping Forum with

industry representatives that resulted in the adoption of the Freedom Freedom campers can be divided into three broad groups; the first Camping Act 2011. The Act enables Councils who have adopted a consist largely of New Zealand residents who own their own bylaw under the Freedom Camping Act to designate places controlled campervan and who travel around the country experiencing different by the Council where freedom camping may take place and under what regions for either short term or extended periods. These people are conditions and issue a $200 fine for breaches of the Act. generally travelling in specialised camping vehicles and are (certified) self-contained with respect to waste. Often these visitors will be Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) was one of the first members of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association and will Councils to adopt a Freedom Camping Bylaw and enforce the bylaw by include Southland residents who may use their campervan for short issuing fines. The Queenstown Freedom Camping Bylaw 2012 limits term visits locally within Southland. freedom camping to areas outside of the urban town centres and

residential areas and only permits freedom camping on council land The second group are predominately international visitors who are where the vehicle is certified as self-contained. As the bylaw is touring throughout New Zealand in rented specialised campervans that proactively enforced, compliance with the bylaw is very high. are fully self-contained. These visitors will use a variety of accommodation types including hotel, motel, holiday parks and The QLDC policy has likely had some impact on Southland by freedom camping sites. While these visitors will occasionally freedom encouraging those travelling in non-self-contained vehicles to stay camp, generally their impact is limited. outside the district either before entering Queenstown or immediately

after leaving Queenstown. This is evidenced by the popularity of sites The third group are predominately international visitors who are touring such as the NZTA rest areas on the shores of Lake Wakatipu near throughout New Zealand in vehicles that may or may not have been Kingston and the Jollies Pass and the Lumsden Freedom Camping converted to some extent to enable sleeping within the vehicle. These Site. visitors will predominately stay in their vehicles at both unauthorised or authorised freedom camping locations but may use other lower cost The SDC Freedom Camping Bylaw (2015) has taken a community options such as Conservation campsites, camping grounds and based approach with each community determining the extent to which backpacker accommodation. The lack of adequate waste facilities freedom camping is prohibited, restricted or permitted. Camping is onboard means these visitors place a greater load on the environment generally permitted on Council controlled land in areas such as and on public facilities such as toilets. These visitors are extremely beaches and riversides. Camping is generally not allowed in urban sensitive to cost and will seek out free opportunities over even low to areas, car parks, boating areas (including wharves, jetties & boat moderate cost alternatives. ramps), playgrounds, sports grounds, cemeteries, walking tracks,

signposted lookouts.

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Enforcement activity is limited to Te Anau and Lumsden where History shows us that many of today’s popular commercial wardens operate. campgrounds were once freedom camping sites. As use grew, additional facilities such as toilets and litter bins are required. The cost 9.1 NZS 5465 Amendment No.2 of providing and maintaining these facilities then required communities to impose charges for use of the sites which then become formalised as camping grounds either operated by the Council as commercial An amendment to the New Zealand Standard 5465 for self- ventures or leased to private operators. containment was adopted in May 2017. The amendments mean that

Certified Self-Containment (CSC) documentation will only be issued to vehicles that have a toilet that is able to be used inside the vehicle, There is no doubt that a freedom camping strategy is needed to even with the bed made up. As a result, the poorly-equipped people consider Southland’s approach to freedom camping. This strategy movers and the like, which have been slipping through a loophole in should go beyond a regulatory approach and consider the economic the requirements for self-containment, will no longer qualify as CSC and tourism value of freedom camping and cost to the community. and will be excluded from freedom camping in areas where freedom camping is only permitted in self-contained vehicles. Without a strategy the Council is at risk of developing facilities for freedom camping that cannot be sustained or adequately funded. An This is likely to reduce the numbers of freedom campers where policies appropriate strategy would investigate the economic contribution of are in place to limit freedom camping to certified self-contained vehicles and freedom camping bylaws are enforced. freedom camping to townships, costs and benefits and potential funding models including options such as a low cost camping pass.

9.2 Freedom camping strategy 9.3 Potential legislative changes We understand that a Freedom Camping Strategy is to be prepared. The National Party has announced that it intends to make changes to The approach taken to freedom camping is likely to be the most the Freedom Camping Act if reelected to Government in the 2017 significant influencer of facility development for the SDC. General Election22. The proposed changes include extending the powers of the Freedom Camping Act to NZTA and LINZ which will By way of example, the popularity of the Lumsden freedom camping enable the margins of rivers and lakes and rest areas on State site, is strongly driving facility development. Unless numbers are Highways to be restricted or prohibited camping areas. It is also limited or fees introduced (which would drastically reduce numbers) proposed to prohibit freedom camping in non-self-contained vehicles then there will be a need to improve facilities over time to cope with the when located more than 200m away from a public toilet. demand on the toilets, waste management, general environment and impact on the community. If these changes are made to the Freedom Camping Act they will likely impact on facility provision in Southland.

22 https://www.national.org.nz/tougher_rules_for_freedom_campers

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10 Priority Sites 4. Provide benefits to local communities Facility development should be prioritised where facility When considering the open space network managed by the Council, development will bring recreation, community or economic priority should be placed on sites which: benefit to local communities. The impact of greater numbers of

visitors on local infrastructure and community well-being also 1. Meet local community needs for recreation needs to be considered. The priority for the open space provided by the Council should

be meeting local community recreation needs. In general, community needs seem to be well catered for with 10.1 Evaluative criteria communities having good access to playgrounds, parks and We would also suggest that future projects are assessed against the community halls. Some existing facilities have reached the end following criteria. of their economic life or relevance and these should either be

removed, renewed or redeveloped with relevant and (ideally 1. Visitation – the site has existing demand the exceeds the multipurpose) facilities. capacity of the site causing damage to the site, the

surrounding environment or the reputation/visitor experience 2. Provide unique experiences with the natural environment

Open spaces which offer opportunities to connect with the 2. Growth – the site is located on a key visitor route and is likely Southland landscape, wildlife and culture will create to experience increasing use memorable and popular visitor experiences. These are the

places to focus visitors as long as the environment can be 3. Need – the facilities proposed are in the best location to protected. address demand and do not duplicate other nearby facilities

including those managed by other agencies 3. Are on the key existing tourist routes

Facility development for visitors should be focused on the key 4. Sustainability – the operating and renewal costs maintaining tourist routes between Kingston and Te Anau and the and renewing the facilities can be sustained by the funding and Southern Scenic Route. These routes are already popular and revenue model for the facility will continue to see growth as long as tourism growth to New

Zealand continues. While the inland communities each have 5. Planning – prior to committing to facility development within, their own history and attributes their location off the main sufficient planning has taken place to ensure option selected is arterial tourism routes means facility development for tourism the best option and risks, including financial and consenting will not be justified at this time. risks are sufficiently understood.

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 33

10.2 Kingston to Te Anau 10.2.2 MOSSBURN 10.2.1 GARSTON/ATHOL As discussed above, consideration should be given to one primary toilet facility between Kingston and Te Anau and this would impact on Garston is the first easily accessible stop for visitors on the journey requirements for facility development in Mossburn. from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Approximately one hour from Queenstown, the toilets are frequently used by travellers. The growth The main facility development opportunity in Mossburn is to plan for in visitor numbers on this route will mean that the existing public toilets the redevelopment of the adventure playground, toilets and park in will be under pressure to cope with multiple coaches stopping at this general. At present the facilities are not well set out and could be location. significantly improved with good design including the introduction of other facilities for residents such as a pump track or multi-purpose Planning for a more significant toilet facility with bus parking between court. Kingston and Te Anau needs to be advanced including consideration of waste treatment options. 10.3 Te Anau For example, the toilets at Garston could be downsized and a more 10.3.1 TOWN CENTRE extensive facility developed at Athol to replace the Garston toilets. Athol is approximately half way between Queenstown and Te Anau The town centre is comprised primarily of the Anzac Gardens/Little and there is more land available at Athol to provide for a significant Lake Te Anau, street gardens and the area in front of the library. The toilet facility. gardens are of good quality and while there could be some improvement in furniture selection the main opportunity for At present three toilet facilities are provided between Kingston and Te improvement is the upgrading of street and park lighting. The lighting Anau and it is suggested that one significant facility and two lesser infrastructure is does not contribute to the daytime aesthetic of the facilities may be more cost effective. If a significant facility was town centre and at night the town centre appears dark and developed, then this may enable reduction of capacity in Garston or unwelcoming. Mossburn with subsequent cost savings. The library toilets are heavily used by visitors (anecdotally by people The development of toilets/rest area in either Garston or Athol would who don’t want to pay to use the lake side toilets) and consideration be specifically developed for visitors including parking capacity for should be given to the development of a new standalone toilet unit in multiple coaches and would be suitable candidate project for the northern part of the town centre which could be a candidate for consideration under the MBIE Infrastructure Fund. consideration under the MBIE Infrastructure Fund.

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10.3.2 LAKEFRONT 10.3.3 BOAT HARBOUR – TE ANAU DOMAIN The lakefront walkway is a key feature of Te Anau. The path has There is significant opportunity for improvement and development at potential to be significantly improved to be an attractive promenade the Boat Harbour. Better organisation of boat harbour/marina activity with a wider path that could be safely used by both cycles and and day use would be beneficial as well as encouraging visitors to pedestrians as the start of the Te Anau to Manapouri cycleway. A travel further into the reserve to experience the very different views of redesign of the foreshore path, viewpoints, planting and lighting would Lake Te Anau and Fiordland National Park from the northern shore of be a major project but would provide significant benefits to residents the Domain. and visitors. 10.4 Te Anau to Makarewa The Oneroa – Waikanae Beach walkway – cycleway in Gisborne is a good example of the quality that can be achieved. 10.4.1 CLIFDEN BRIDGE There is potential to develop this site further for freedom camping. It will be important to ensure the day use aspects of the site are preserved. This could be achieved by developing toilets and freedom camping sites on the upper terrace and retaining the lower area for day use and picnicking.

10.4.2 MCCRACKENS REST Improvements in landscaping and presentation could be made to this key site. The provision of toilets at this site should only be made as part of a broader consideration of toilet provision via a toilet strategy.

10.4.3 GEMSTONE BEACH Improvements to car parking and beach access would be desirable as this is a popular site which will see increasing levels of use based on visitor feedback. Figure 20 Oneroa- Waikanae Beach – Gisborne (Gisborne Herald) 10.4.4 MONKEY ISLAND

There is a need for a well-developed plan for the development of Monkey Island that should include the development of separate day use areas and freedom camping areas, upgraded toilets and replacement of the shelter along with roading and

Southland Open Spaces Priority Settings pg. 35 landscaping/revegetation works. Options for supply of potable water town is not damaged. By sealing the car park, marking out parking should be considered. spaces, addition of kerb and channeling, and some landscape planting for screening it is hoped this will improve the visitor experience for the With improvements, Monkey Island has potential to be a very attractive campers and other users. An upgrade of the public toilets will also and popular camping area and together with other sites has potential to boost the available facilities. be considered for the MBIE Infrastructure Fund. Central to the designated camping area is the old railway platform and 10.4.5 COSY NOOK there may be an opportunity to display the further attractions of Southland to this ready audience using a simple photo montage or Planning here should be limited to replacement of the toilets when they similar. Council could look at making a small amount of revenue by reach the end of their life and minor improvements to the immediate placing a coin operated BBQ in the camping vicinity. Another option is area around the toilets. a nominal fee (e.g. $2) to have the unlimited wifi and this could be paid for either online or through a voucher bought at the supermarket. 10.4.6 COLAC BAY To ease the pressure on Lumsden from freedom campers Council A landscape plan for Colac Bay setting out the establishment of could look at promoting David Milligan Park at Dipton West (with the freedom camping and day use areas at the end of Colac Foreshore addition of some facilities such as water supply) or their own leased Road would give direction for future development. With further campground at Lumsden. improvements and the development of sheltered and level camping sites, improvements to toilets and ideally the provision of water the site Round the Mountain cyclists stopping off in Lumsden for would be popular with residents and visitors alike. accommodation and meals will no doubt appreciate the Lumsden

Railway Precinct and the ability to have an insight into the town’s early Packaged together with other sites (such as Monkey Island), Colac history and character today. These sort of attractions are fairly low key Bay has potential to be considered for the MBIE Infrastructure Fund. but add to the overall aesthetic appeal and how long (and much) day

visitors will spend in a town. 10.4.7 LUMSDEN Lumsden has become a destination in its own right due to the freedom 10.4.8 TARAMEA BAY RECREATION RESERVE camping site. Free Independent Travellers (FIT’s) mainly those in the This narrow strip of foreshore reserve in Riverton is a popular attractive budget campervan range more likely to be from Europe, UK, USA and coastal park for Southlanders and a nearby safe sheltered beach for Australia are flocking to the place to take advantage of the free site. Invercargill residents. The beach and park is a great family friendly This popularity has been welcomed by some locals but been the bane location. It is in moderately good condition but could be improved on of others. The community and Council are now implementing some with the addition of new toilets with changing facilities. Coin operated measures to manage this overwhelming visitor use in a more coordinated fashion so the quiet, appealing nature of this small rural

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BBQ’s would be great for the long summer evenings and add to this 10.4.11 CAMPING - CATLINS HERITAGE TRAIL site’s popularity. The majority of visitors to the Catlins are Free Independent Traveler’s and apps such as Geozone show that a considerable number of these A combined walking and cycling path from the bridge to Taramea Bay are travelling in camper vehicles. This makes the availability of would traverse Pilot Reserve and Taramea Bay Recreation Reserve camping areas important and Council currently plays a role in this and provide a valued easy walking and cycling opportunity for the provision. community.

There are currently four freedom camping sites along the Catlins 10.4.9 MORE’S SCENIC RESERVE Heritage Trail route and they are: Fortrose foreshore reserve, Fortrose This significant block of remnant coastal forest attracts a lot of visitors Boat Harbour Rd, Weir’s Beach and Waikawa. All except Fortrose for the bushwalking and for the spectacular views north and south. It Boat Harbour Rd have toilets available although only Fortrose could be better promoted to those travelling the Southern Scenic Route foreshore and Weir’s Beach allow for non-self-contained vehicles as as a worthwhile place to visit. well as self-contained. They are all popular sites for campers and they provide spinoffs by encouraging these visitors to spend longer and To support the increasing numbers walking the Te Araroa Trail it is more money in the Catlins area. The common issue with them is that proposed that safe pedestrian access is allowed for from the car park the capacity is small and only Weir’s Beach has potential for down along Richard St to where the footpath begins. expansion. They also all have poorly drained grass surface. A funding application to the Tourism Infrastructure Fund could bundle together 10.4.10 CURIO BAY the surface improvement at Fortrose foreshore, Weir’s Beach and Waikawa; an expansion of the Weir’s Beach open space for camping Undoubtedly the highest profile visitor site in the Catlins with visitors and two coin operated BBQ’s for Fortrose foreshore reserve. attracted by the rich natural features found in this relatively small area. The new Catlins Heritage Centre justly sets a high standard for The only alternative for campers within the Southland District portion of facilities at this site. The Council’s Curio Bay campground should the Catlins is the private Slope Point Rd campervan park or the Curio provide moderate revenue for the Council but the quality of Bay Campground and the latter is limited by capacity. With forecast infrastructure needs to be consistent with the standard achieved at the increasing tourism numbers the development of other options may Heritage Centre. An expansion of the campground should be further need to be investigated. The old Quarry Hills school site could be used assessed. to create a new freedom camping site although it would be a detour to use but could be good for overflow. Southland District Council could Visitor flow needs to work well at this compact site. It is recommended also look at their land availability to develop a new campground, similar the area to the east of the new visitor centre has some design input to in level of service to Curio Bay, to be leased. ensure day visitors can easily access Porpoise Bay and the headland viewpoint through the campground. Cohesive signage is also critical to ease of visitor use.

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10.4.12 WAITUNA LAGOON ROAD 10.4.13 PHOTO POINTS The internationally recognised Waituna Wetlands are managed by Tourism promotions in Wanaka have employed a clever marketing ploy DOC and they are well presented to the visitor with a boardwalk and to sell their area by promoting photo points for tourists to collect photos information panels. However, the Waituna Lagoon Rd is in a poor from. This could be used on the Southern Scenic Route in Southland state and is a rough introduction to this area. This Council road’s as there are many photogenic scenes. carriageway should be improved to a higher standard and allow for safe passing of all vehicles including buses. A potential photo point/new rest area could be developed at the roadside on the hill before you drop down to Fortrose heading east. This gives the best roadside view out over Waituna Lagoon and beyond.

Figure 21 Curio Bay

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11 Funding requirements • projects that address capacity constraints due to visitor growth, support the Tourism Strategy and represent value

for money. 11.1 Funding opportunities • Applicants are expected to co-fund to the maximum extent The following funding opportunities have been considered beyond rate they are able and projects will not be eligible if seeking or debt funding the proposed infrastructure requirements. funding under $100,000 (although a series of linked projects can be joined in one application). 11.1.1 TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Announced at Budget 2017, the Tourism Infrastructure Fund • Commercial projects, infrastructure where central provides up to $25 million per year to support communities facing government already has dedicated investment (such as pressure from tourism growth and in need of assistance – areas mobile blackspot coverage), or infrastructure projects with high visitor numbers but small ratepayer bases, for example. without a substantial visitor-volume driven component will not be eligible. The purpose of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund is to provide financial support for local tourism-related infrastructure where Eligibility is contingent on the following tourism growth (domestic and international) is placing pressure on, or potential growth is constrained by, existing infrastructure and the 1. Receives more than five visitors per rating unit local community is unable to respond in a timely way without annually? assistance. Southland District received 407,044 guest nights between The Tourism Infrastructure Fund is intended to protect and enhance 1July 2016 and 30 June 2017. New Zealand’s reputation both domestically and internationally by supporting robust infrastructure which in turn contributes to quality The number of rateable units is 20,749 (1 July 2015). experiences for visitors and maintains the social licence for the sector to operate. The ratio of visitor guest nights to rating units is therefore 19:1. Councils or community organisations with council support are eligible to apply for local visitor-related infrastructure. Priority will be 2. Revenue from tourism in your area is less than $1 given to: billion per year? • applicants who have high visitor to ratepayer ratios, and are financially constrained and have investigated alternative Revenue from domestic and international tourism within the funding options. Southland District was $330m for the 2017 year.

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3. Local government funding agency lending limits been 11.1.2 PAY FOR USE reached? The Council already has a pay for use toilet operating in Te Anau. We Council’s current limit per the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan is have not reviewed the operating costs and revenue associated with that borrowing of external funds is limited to 100% of total this toilet but have made observations regarding resistance to its use revenue. No external borrowings have been required. and a lack of capacity to accommodate peak loading after hours. Increasing tourism during should seasons may require the current As such the Council will not be eligible for funding according opening hours to be reviewed. to the current MBIE criteria. We understand a number of Councils have raised the issue of this criteria with Government. Pay for use toilets are not common in New Zealand and the majority of pay toilets that are provided by Council have high servicing costs as Assuming that criteria 3 (lending limits was waived) then the following staff are located on site during opening hours. Recently a non-staff criteria also apply: pay toilet has been installed at Lake Tekapo. This facility is reportedly receiving moderate use. 1/3rd of the revenue gained is expensed in • Carparks bank charges. • Toilets • Freedom camping facilities While there may be some potential for pay for use toilets in some • Visitor-related sewerage and water systems locations, the price barrier or at least principle of payment will deter • Transport capital projects not funded by NZTA some users which will mean they will either use other free-use toilets or • Safety upgrades to public spaces, such as shelters > Supporting infrastructure for natural attractions > Feasibility the environment which is counter to the objective of providing toilets. studies for related projects Council could consider removing charges for toilet use while maintaining user fees for the showers which are popular with visitors. And on a case by case basis: The additional cost of pay mechanisms, additional cost of • Signage (excluding marketing signage) maintenance, cash handling, administration, additional vandalism/theft • Rest stop facilities on main touring routes and the need for electronic payment systems (and therefore mobile • Cruise-related infrastructure (excluding berths) phone coverage and electricity) will limit their application. • Cycleways not funded by NZTA or MBIE As a funding strategy, pay for use toilets have limited potential. Most of the facilities recommendations in this report would fit the above criteria so if funding was successful it would reduce the funding Charging for other facilities such as is more common but again the cost requirement to be met by the Council. Applications for the first round of administration needs to be considered. Charging for access to wifi close of September 4, 2017. may be a possibility in sites such as Lumsden where freedom campers are currently using the library wi-fi for free.

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11.1.3 SOUTHLAND CAMPING PASS While the time and cost of investigation, community consultation and divestment can be significant there is potential for on-going cost The Department of Conservation offers two types of passes for the savings through reduced maintenance and increased rates. camp sites it manages. The Campsite Pass for rental vans is a weekly pass that provides a 50% discount to DOC campsites. 11.1.5 LEASE ARRANGEMENTS

The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) campsite pass When developing facilities, consideration should be given to the gives free access to DOC standard and scenic campsites around New potential for creating lettable spaces within buildings such as public Zealand. The pass can be used at approximately 200 motor-caravan toilets. accessible campsites (some exceptions apply). Members can choose either a full year campsite pass option for $175 or a 5-months campsite pass for $100.

Consideration could be given to introduce a “Southland Camping Pass” which could give free access to designated camping areas managed by Southland District Council. This would be a means to gain some revenue and record numbers of users using campsites established by the Council. Southland district residents could be given free access to the pass to encourage local use and recognise the contribution of rates to the establishment and maintenance of the campsites.

A feasibility study on the viability and application of this concept could be undertaken. It may also have some interest from neighbouring Councils.

11.1.4 LAND SALES – RATIONALISATION There appears to be a number of reserves that have limited recreation or community value and consideration could be given to rationalising some reserves.

This may provide a one-off cash injection that could be reinvested into reserve development. Many reserves however have underlying crown ownership or may be subject to treaty settlements. Figure 22 Commercial tenant in Earnslaw Park Toilets

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A successful example of this can be seen in Queenstown where the Table 3 Indicative facility costs Earnslaw Park toilets has a small lettable space incorporated into the building which provides an on-going return to the Council and provides Item Indicative budget useful passive surveillance of the toilets increasing security and required ($k) reducing vandalism. Toilet – backcountry vault $15 Toilet – Twin unit (Permaloo) or similar $150 11.1.6 PARTNERSHIPS Toilet – 10-15 unit including parking and $1,500 - $2,000 At key sites, opportunities for Commercial partnerships with other disposal agencies or commercial partners should be explored. These may be Seat/bench installed $2 via lease arrangements as discussed above, sharing of capital or Bin installed $1 operating costs or preferential access. BBQ $10 Shelter $15 Small Site development (landscape, basic $50 - $100 12 Costs furniture, parking) The cost of facility development can vary considerably with local Large Site development (landscape, basic $150 - $1,000 circumstances. It is important to undertake sound investigations into furniture, parking) projects to be fully aware of likely costs including planning, design, Community playground $50- $150 consenting, construction and the whole of life cost of assets created. Destination playground $400 - $1,000

Pump Track $75-$150 The Council could consider establishing a design and planning budget in the first 1-3 years of the Long Term Plan of $100,000 followed by a Mutli-purpose court $120 project budget for facility improvement of $1m- $3m per annum in subsequent years to advance the recommendations outlined in this report.

The following costs are indicative of likely budgets required for various 13 Summary facilities. These are based on typical local authority budgets for similar The following table summarises the key initiatives and priorities projects: recommended by this study.

Where infrastructure is required, more detailed scoping and feasibility should be undertaken before preparing conceptual drawings and cost estimates.

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Table 4 Identified projects

Project Description Priority Page Freedom Camping Strategy Develop a freedom camping strategy that clarifies the SDC approach to freedom H 28 camping and examines the costs and benefits of various options including the implications for facility development and review of the existing Bylaw. Dedicated parks/recreation Consider the need for a dedicated parks and recreation professional within the H 28 planning advice organisation to implement improvements to the open space network in a coordinated manner to best practice standards SH94 Toilets Planning for a more significant toilet facility with bus parking between Kingston and Te H 33 Anau Gemstone Beach/ Improved parking and access H 19/35 McCrackens Rest Monkey Island Site redevelopment H 19/35 Landscape Design Invest in professional landscape design services for the preparation of development M 28 plans for key sites Service Levels Categorise parks using the NZRA park categories and assign a management standard M 14 General Signage Develop a sign that reflects the Southland identity, assists in wayfinding and improves M 28 the visitor experience. Materials Palette Develop a palette of material selections, furniture and facilities that are attractive and M 28 cost effective to construct and maintain Visitor Monitoring Establish a visitor monitoring programme to monitor levels of use at key facilities M 11 Visitor Monitoring Undertake a regular benchmarked survey of visitor expectations and experience M 14 Te Anau Lakefront Redevelopment of foreshore and walkway/cycleway M 18/34 Catlins Freedom Site redevelopment M 36 Camping Sites Waituna Lagoon Rd Road widening M 37 Photopoints Develop additional rest areas/photo points M 37 Litter Review provision of litter bins across parks M 28 Te Anau Town Centre Town Centre masterplan including lighting design (not 1:1 LED replacement) M 34 Clifden Bridge Site redevelopment M 19 Tuatapere Domain Improved promotion and utilisation M 19 Colac Bay Site redevelopment M 20

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Project Description Priority Page Riverton Toilet replacements M 20 Wyndham Wildlife Refuge Enhancement plan and improved access M 21 Moray Terrace Recreation Enhancement plans and improved access M 25 Reserve at Fortrose, Weir’s Beach and the Waikawa Recreation Reserve Taramea Bay Public toilets and trail M 36 Te Anau Gardens Long term planting and development plan L 18 Te Anau Boat Domain Long term planting and development plan L 18/35 Scenic and District Reserves Enhancement plans and improved access L 23

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