Club ownership of ramps recommended
THE two boat ramps beside the slipway at Oamaru Harbour are property of the North Otago Yacht and Power Boat Club, the Waitaki District Council’s harbour area committee has agreed.
The committee recommended the council adopt that position as well as transferring the resource consents for the ramps to the club, after commodore Kevin Murdoch presented the club’s case for ownership of the ramps at this month’s committee meeting.
Cr Jim Hopkins said some of the evidence presented by Mr Murdoch represented a ‘‘smoking gun’’ and he believed the matter was settled.
Council assets group manager Neil Jorgensen said trying to get a legal opinion could present a ‘‘minefield’’, but instead the decision, which he recommended in his report to the committee, would formalise status quo and make the ownership ‘‘nice and clear’’.
The club both operated and maintained both ramps, the report reads. However, at present the council held the resource consent for the ramps because council officers had been unable to determine the ownership of the ramps and ‘‘the default backstop is what lies on the land belongs to the land’’.
‘‘The club has also asked to work with the council to put in place a lease for the area it currently uses, thereby ensuring a clear understanding between both parties. However, it is proposed to leave this discussion until after the Oamaru Harbour Space Masterplan is completed.’’
Mr Murdoch said 150 of the club’s 350 members were from outside the area.
Revenue from the ramps helped the club survive. The ramps were left open to the public for the busy period over December and January.