Funding for Pembroke Park has been inadequate and its management has suffered as a result, the Friends of Pembroke Park (FoPP) told the council in its submission to the council’s Long-term Plan (LTP).  

In its submission, FoPP member Pam McRae said the 10.56ha park in the centre of Wanaka was an important green space widely used as an events venue, but disappointingly lacking in user-friendly facilities which would make the park a “memorable experience”.

“It is incomprehensible that a park of this magnitude and significance...has not been afforded a more generous budget consideration annually,” she said.

The park’s management plan was adopted in 2007 but little has been done to implement the plan’s policies since then. Public seating is limited, the footpaths are inadequate as is the turf management and tree planting and maintenance, she said.

As a large, open green space the park attracts a wide range of users. PHOTO: Wanaka App

The draft LTP indicates just under $1M is assigned for Pembroke Park but only for irrigation and field improvements and the initial spending is not expected to begin until 2022 at the earliest. 

FoPP submitted a request that the council makes a greater budget allowance annually for the next 10 years to implement the policies in the management plan, including a well-maintained cricket oval, footpaths and establishing exotic specimen trees around the park to provide shelter, shade, structure and form.

Of particular concern to FoPP is a lack of footpaths both around the perimeter of the park and across it.

“This is vitally important to get a safe connection to town and beach inside the park, especially with stage two of the Lakefront Development Plan introducing more lakeside parking and amenities to the lakeside reserve,” Pam said.

Detailed designs are still being drawn up based on these concept drawings approved by the WCB last year. IMAGE: Supplied

In December last year, the Wanaka Community Board approved the $2.3M stage two concept plans which will create car parking on the lake side of Ardmore Street opposite Pembroke Park, a four metre wide promenade, a relocated Millennium Path with new tiles, a new toilet block and more trees and seating.

Council spokesperson Jack Barlow confirmed the intention is to begin stage two development in June/July this year and have it completed by December.

However, a council team is still working through detailed designs with civil engineers to finalise the stormwater and drainage aspects, and with a landscape designer and iwi on developing “cultural narrative elements” within the site.

As the final design is yet to be completed, Jack was unable to advise exactly when the project would start or how the work will impinge on traffic on Ardmore Street and on the public’s access to the foreshore and footpaths opposite Pembroke Park.

Stage one of the Lakefront Development Plan is complete; stage three is underway and on track to be completed in August this year, Jack said. However, funding for stages four and five has been deferred in the draft LTP until 2024 at the earliest. 

This is in stark contrast to council’s previous LTP 2018-2028 when $6.25M was allocated to the Lakefront Development Plan with most of the project planned to be finished by July this year.