Adventure in Porirua step closer
It’s been three long years of ‘‘hard slog’’ but a $32 million adventure park in Porirua is one step closer.
The Department of Conservation approved the application by Select Contracts, the company behind the Porirua Adventure Park, for gondola infrastructure to be installed on a Porirua reserve.
Director Darron Charity said yesterday the DOC approval for Te Ra¯hui o Rangituhi, also known as Colonial Knob, meant all consents for the project were complete, so the project could proceed to the next stage of funding and then building.
The consent has been granted despite critics of the project warning that it might not be environmentally friendly, ratepayers may have to bail out the project if the park got into financial trouble, or visitor numbers may not reach projections.
It is estimated that the park, which will include a gondola and cafe, indoor surfing, dual zipline, bike trails and access to scenic natural bush and trails for sightseeing and hiking, will boost Porirua’s economy by $9.6m a year and create about 171 jobs.
Initial plans were for the project to be completed by the end of the year, however, it has been stuck in the application and consent process since it was announced in 2017.
An application for a DOC concession was approved to allow the lease of a ‘‘small’’ area of conservation land nearby to enable the development.
Charity said the process saw the organisation scrap its inclusion of an old mountainbike trail that ran through DOC’s land.
A Greater Wellington Regional Council resource consent was being considered in May with a decision expected at the end of June, as well as permission from Porirua City Council to lease land at Spicer Park.
Reaching this point was ‘‘exciting’’, Charity said. ‘‘We are thrilled . . . and cannot wait to get going on the next steps of the project.’’
There was still a long way to go before people could enjoy the attractions but Charity said the park would likely be open by Christmas 2021.
‘‘There are a few more hurdles to get through,’’ he said.
The adventure park will be the first significant new attraction in the region for over a decade, according to Porirua City Council chief executive Wendy Walker.
Debt security has been backed by the council at $4m.
It is the second park for Select Contracts, which owns the Christchurch Adventure Park.