The Clutha District Council infrastructure strategy and operations committee met in Balclutha yesterday afternoon, and high on the agenda were proposed amendments to the Milton reserve management plan.
Consultation on the plan proved polarising for residents, after many objected to the expansion of the Taylor Park campground with cabins on the park’s green space, which took place in September last year.
Feedback from residents overwhelmingly favoured removal or relocation of the cabins from the green space and, yesterday, councillors voted by 10 votes to four to remove them completely, and revert the park to its original condition.
However, during a 90-minute discussion on the proposal, councillors noted an unintended consequence of the cabins’ removal could be that the campground, which had previously occupied only 3500sq m of the wider park, would eventually have to close.
A report prepared by GHC Consulting’s Mike Goldsmith explained this was due to the campground being financially unsustainable without expansion.
Several councillors raised concerns Milton residents had not been fully informed during consultation of the consequences of opting to remove the cabins.
Cr Bruce Graham, chairing the meeting, said people had been "consulted on one thing, and now [councillors] were being asked to decide on something else".
Mr Goldsmith said it had been made clear during consultation that the cabins’ removal would make the campground too small to be viable.
Cr Kevin Barron said he was "floored" to learn only recently the campground was financially unsustainable.
"If this was known, why was it not brought to councillors previously?
"[Information shows] revenue from the camp is $38,000, and it costs $70,000 to run. Now it transpires if we move the cabins we’ll have to shut down the campground.
"This just shows the dysfunctional way this council operates."
Council staff will prepare an action plan for removal and storage of the cabins.
The cost of their removal, and restoration of the green space, is yet to be determined.
