Reserve land to be leased

COUNCILLORS believe Invercargill needs to further tap into the tourism market, and amending the reserves management plan to allow a piece of reserve land to be leased is viewed as a step forward.

The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) approached the Invercargill City Council with a request to lease a piece of land on the Stead Street reserve.

The association is a nonprofit organisation with 41 private parks in New Zealand and an 81,000strong membership.

Councillors at the infrastructure and services committee meeting on Monday voted in favour of the recommendation to amend the reserves management plan, which would allow for it to be leased.

Cr Allan Arnold suggested the land was basically ‘wasteland’’ at the moment, and backed the proposal. But he later abstained from voting because he was a current member of NZMCA.

Public feedback was largely for the proposal, although the majority of submitters were also members of NZMCA.

One of the submitters against allowing the reserve land to be leased was former councillor Geoff Piercy.

The 88yearold spoke at the infrastructure and services committee meeting on Monday.

‘‘This is an elitist group of people who have got caravans worth $60,000 to $200,000,’’ he said.

‘‘I caravanned for nearly 60 years and I paid my way at different camping grounds.’’

At the meeting Cr Karen Arnold questioned if leasing the land twas in the best interest of Invercargill’s residents.

‘‘This is our people’s reserve and it’s for our enjoyment.’’

Cr Alex Crackett believed the city needed to embrace the tourism benefits which would come from opening it up to the association members.

Cr Lloyd Esler said the advantages to leasing the land outweighed the ‘‘almost nonexistent disadvantages’’.