A strong summer has sent the Queenstown Lakes District Council's holiday parks back into the black, with a report to the council's finance and corporate committee showing the books are $67,000 up on last year.
QLDC finance general manager Stewart Burns said in the nine months to the end of March overall the holiday parks recovered, recording operating income of $229,000 compared to operating expenditure of $162,000.
The $67,000 surplus before interest and depreciation meant the council was ''pretty much on budget''.
The Arrowtown Born of Gold Holiday Park performed very well - for the year to date was ahead of last year overall by $124,000, before interest and depreciation - an increase of 3000%.
''It's correct in mathematical terms - it's $120,000 better than we were last year in terms of net surplus [and] it's $84,000 up on our budget.''
Mr Burns said there were several reasons for the improved performance at Arrowtown, most notably the council did not make the Queenstown Rec Ground available for overspill campers in Queenstown over New Year.
''They were directing people out to Arrowtown if they didn't have accommodation secured in Queenstown.
''We have been marketing [Arrowtown] quite aggressively to try and reduce the [previous] deficit. It was very pleasing to see it was turned around by such a large amount.''
The Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park's income to the end of the third quarter was up on last year by $86,000, or 5%, but still down on budget by $97,000, or 4.6%.
The Glendhu Bay Lakeside Holiday Park beside Lake Wanaka showed a rise in income to the end of the third quarter of $31,000, or 5.6%, but was also down on budget by $36,000 to the end of March.
Lodges moved from Queenstown to Wanaka last year helped increase occupancy levels at the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park, with income at Wanaka to the end of the third quarter up on last year by $44,000, or 8.4%, and up on budget by $82,000 (16.9%).
''Overall, we are also ahead of budget by $23,000 to the end of March.''
In March the council announced it was seeking expressions of interest from potential campground operators. The move was described by council chief executive Adam Feeley as ''testing the market to inform any future decision''.
Mr Burns told the committee the council was working through the expressions of interest.
