Further funding for the Riverside Park Trust stage one plaza has been confirmed, with Central Lakes Trust (CLT) committing $250,000 to the project.

The trust confirmed this week that its CLT grant had been approved and they could push on with plans for the new plaza downtown area, at the lower end of Tarbert St.

The plaza will include public toilets, bike racks, seating and shade trees, and the river access pathway will lead off a viewing platform overlooking the confluence of the Manuherikia and Clutha Mata-Au rivers.

Work should be completed by the end of December for stage one, which was estimated to cost $1.4 million, and the Central Otago District Council has also committed $650,000 through the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.

In December 2022, all necessary resource consents for the project were granted and the concept plan that was consulted on with the public in 2022 developed into a new design. 

The Tourism Infrastructure Fund of $325,000 has also been approved through council, and other applications include Lotteries – Otago/Southland Regional Community grant $50,000 and the Otago Community Trust $185,000.

Stage two of the project will involve ongoing enhancements at a cost of $1.36 million, carried out between 2025-2028, once the original infrastructure is in place.