Lake Taupo review of fees and the Lake Taupo Navigation Safety Bylaw 2010
4 March 2011
The Department of Internal Affairs has completed a review of the fees charged for the Lake Taupo boating facilities and will meet with stakeholders and the public in the week of 14 March 2011 to discuss the findings of the review.
The Department is responsible for the Harbourmaster function for Lake Taupo under the Local Government Act 1974. This involves managing all the Crown-owned boating facilities and enforcing navigational safety relating to boating on Lake Taupo.
Fees are charged by the Department for the use of Crown-owned facilities at Lake Taupo. There has been no increase in fees since 2004 and the current fees are too low to cover the day-to-day costs of maintenance. The fees will need to be increased by more than 100 per cent to assist the Department to maintain the facilities in a safe and usable condition and recover the payment made by the Department on behalf of the Crown to the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board for continued public access to the lake. For example: a one-day ramp permit fee will increase from $3.80 to $8.40 and the average cost to berth a boat in one of the facilities will increase by $587.55 per annum.
Following a number of safety issues and other concerns raised by the public and Harbourmaster, the Department is also proposing to amend the Lake Taupo Navigation Safety Bylaw 2010. The purpose of the Bylaw is to provide management of recreational boating on Lake Taupo and the enforcement of navigation safety rules.
The amendments to the Bylaw will provide for more effective navigation safety on Lake Taupo, for example: requiring lifejackets to be worn in recreational craft under 6 metres and requiring jetskis to be registered.
Further information on the fees review and copies of the proposed Bylaw amendments is available at the Harbourmaster’s Office, Redoubt Street, Taupo, and on this website at:
Open meetings on the fees review and Bylaw amendments will be held at the following times:| Venue | Dates and time |
| Lake Taupo Yacht Club, Taupo. | Tuesday 15 March 2011, 6:00 – 7:30pm |
| Watersports Building, Tokaanu Marina. | Wednesday 16 March 2011, 6:00 – 7:30pm |
Contact
Iona Wassilieff
Communications Advisor
The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua
Phone 04 495 7299; mobile 027 524 6352
Email: iona.wassilieff@dia.govt.nz
