A popular swimming pontoon which appeared on Lake Te Anau last summer may not be here to stay.
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter
Featuring a ladder, seat, and stairs, the unauthorised floating structure has proven a hit with the public, but does not comply with DOC and Environment Southland regulations.
However, Southland District Council may have thrown it a lifeline this week after deciding at a meeting to spend $40,000 on a pontoon at the Steamers Beach site.
Whether the existing pontoon will be purchased, or replaced, remains to be seen.
Council community partnership leader Stella O’Connor told councillors on Wednesday the pontoon was put in by a member of the community, and received “huge and significant community support”.
O’Connor said it made sense to have a pontoon at Steamers Beach because it was a non-motorised vehicle area.
DOC had asked the Fiordland Community Board if they could work with the pontoon’s instigator to make it compliant, she said.
A report prepared for the meeting showed there had been discussions between DOC, council staff, the community board chair, and the person who installed the pontoon.
Following that, DOC requested the pontoon be removed and any future pontoon follow the proper processes for concession and resource consent, the report said.
“The community member has agreed to remove the temporary structure and has requested support for a permanent compliant pontoon from the board,” it said.
Despite the instruction, the pontoon has been left to float on the lake.
DOC Te Anau operations manager John Lucas said the department met with the people behind the pontoon and asked them to submit a permit application.
“During this meeting, the pontoon owners mentioned they planned to remove it over winter to complete some alterations and maintenance,” Lucas said.
“The pontoon is still at Steamers Beach and to date no permit application has been received.”
Lucas explained the structure sat within the national park, and the department was responsible for managing all structures within that area through concessions or permits.
The council's pontoon project is expected to be delivered during the current financial year, which ends June 2027.
During the meeting, deputy mayor Christine Menzies asked if it was possible to deliver the project within that timeframe without compromising others.
Council acting general manager Jendi Paterson indicated the council would do what it had to: “We will make it work. The community has spoken”.
– Local Dermocracy Reporting is local body journalism funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
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