Kāpiti Gateway Centre
Improving the Kāpiti Island departure point and providing an iconic visitor experience has been a discussion point for our community for many years.
Kāpiti Island is an internationally famed nature reserve protecting some of New Zealand's most endangered flora and fauna and is one of the few relatively accessible island nature reserves in the country.
Visitation to Kāpiti Island is currently at only 25% of annual capacity. With better promotion and visitor experience there is significant opportunity to grow this without impacting environment.
A Gateway Centre would also enable more robust biosecurity measures to meet today’s biosecurity threats such as Kauri die-back, myrtle-rust and Argentinian ants. Kāpiti Island will be better protected from current and future threats.
A Centre would allow us to better communicate the unique stories and history of the area and assist to promote tourism for the wider district.
In June 2019, the Kāpiti Coast District Council began updating the feasibility of building a Kāpiti Gateway Centre at Paraparaumu Beach.
We worked closely with a large group of stakeholders to progress the study including mana whenua, Department of Conservation, the Kāpiti Boat Club, Kāpiti Island concessionaires and the Paraparaumu business community.
Consultants TRC have now completed their report and have recommended a small, new build south of the Tikotu stream in Maclean Park for the site of the Gateway Centre.
The Gateway Centre will be a visitor facility to deliver improved interpretation and biosecurity functions for Kāpiti Island, space for current and future commercial island tour operators, bathroom facilities and will assist to promote other attractions in the Kāpiti Coast region.
Next steps
In collaboration with partners and stakeholders, Council will progress TRC’s recommendations and seek funding to develop the Kāpiti Gateway Centre at the Maclean Park site through our 2018-38 Toitū Kāpiti long-term planning process.
We will also be seeking funding from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), as well as from other sources, towards the development and construction costs of the facility.
The PGF have advised that, in order for our project to have the greatest chance of success, we need to submit an application by May 2020. This includes a Business Case and Resource Consent for the Gateway Centre.
We need to work at pace and collaboratively with partners and the community to meet this deadline.
To ensure we can do that, we have established an independent Governance Group with Ngati Toa, Te Ati Awa and Department of Conservation, Chaired by former New Zealand Tourism Board Chief Executive, George Hickton.
A separate project Advisory Group has also been established to ensure that the voice of the community is front and centre to recommend options and give advice and feedback. A wide range of stakeholders have been invited to participate in the Advisory Group including the Kāpiti Boat Club, Kāpiti Island concessionaires and the Paraparaumu business community.
As the programme progresses, we will be seeking the community’s input and feedback on aspects of the detailed design.
Questions and Answers
Kāpiti Coast District Council will lead the development the business case, resource consent and Provincial Growth Fund application with support from partners and stakeholders.
An independent Governance Group has been established with Iwi and Department of Conservation, Chaired by former New Zealand Tourism Board Chief Executive, George Hickton.
A separate project Advisory Group has also been established to ensure that the voice of the community is front and centre to give advice and feedback. A wide range of stakeholders have been invited to participate in the Advisory Group including the Kāpiti Boat Club, Kāpiti Island concessionaires and the Paraparaumu business community.
Kāpiti Boat Club, Coastguard Kāpiti, Kāpiti Underwater Club, Kāpiti Island Nature Tours, Kāpiti Island Eco Boat Club, Dive Kāpiti, Paraparaumu Beach Business Association, Wellington NZ, KISAC, Kāpiti Economic Development Agency, Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce and Guardians of the Marine Reserve.
Consultants TRC have recommended a small, new build south of the Tikotu stream in Maclean Park at Paraparaumu Beach.
The Centre will act as a visitor facility to deliver improved interpretation and biosecurity functions for Kāpiti Island, space for current and future commercial island tour operators, and will help promote other Kāpiti Coast attractions.
Issues raised by stakeholders during the consultation process included availability of parking and beach access.
Both are wider issues for our district and will be considered but won’t be able to be fully resolved in this phase of the project.
More generally, these concerns are better addressed through other Council work programmes such as the Beach Bylaw Review.
Funding has been signalled in Council’s the Long Term Plan, subject to approval from elected members.
Funding will also be sought from the PGF (as well as from other sources) towards the development and construction costs of the facility. Applications to the PGF are required by May 2020 at the latest, meaning this project is now at a critical phase in terms of timing. If successful, PGF could fund up to 50% of the total project costs.
Improving the Kāpiti Island departure point and providing an iconic visitor experience has been a discussion point for our community for many years.
Kāpiti Island is an internationally famed nature reserve protecting some of New Zealand's most endangered flora and fauna, and is one of the few relatively accessible island nature reserves in the country.
Visitation to Kāpiti Island is currently at only 25% of annual capacity. With better promotion and visitor experience there is significant opportunity to grow this. The Gateway Centre would also enable more robust biosecurity measures, able to meet today’s biosecurity threats such as Kauri die-back, myrtle-rust and Argentinian ants. Kapiti Island will be better protected from current and future threats.
Finally, a Centre could allow us to better communicate the unique stories and history of the area and assist to promote tourism for the wider district.
As the programme progresses, we will be seeking the community’s input and feedback on aspects of the detailed design.
The 2020 TRC Feasibility Study considered three locations as potential sites for the Centre:
- The Paraparaumu Beach Boat Club carpark area,
- The roundabout at the junction of Marine Parade, Kāpiti Road and Manly Street, and
- The south side of the Tikotu stream in Mclean Park.
The safest and most reliable point for launching vessels on the Kāpiti Coast is Paraparaumu Beach, as it is protected from the prevailing winds by Kāpiti Island.