Wakatipu Soak has applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to operate up to five motorised spas, carrying a maximum of six passengers per vessel, in an area about 1.7km long and 0.6km wide from Queenstown Marina, in Frankton Arm.
Queenstown business partners Jake Allen and Michael Hawley, who have filed documents in support of their application — now being vetted — said they were looking to provide a "unique Queenstown experience".
The spas, about 4m wide, would travel at less than 5 knots.
The water would be heated by propane or wood, and on-board saltwater cleansing and UV filtration would mean no water would be discharged into Lake Wakatipu.
Manufactured in the United States, they were designed to be "untippable" because the weight of the water was centred below the surface of the lake.
While under council’s navigational safety bylaw, adopted in 2018, all people on vessels under 6m must wear lifejackets, the applicants said they had worked with harbourmaster Phil Wiel and understood they would be granted an exemption, based on the preparation of a safety plan.
That included lifejackets being stowed on board, and a safety vessel and staff member available by radio or phone at all times.
Staff would also assess lake conditions and adjust the operating area, or cancel bookings.
The company was seeking to operate from 8am to 8pm and spas would have MNZ-compliant lighting.
The proposal was not considered to generate any adverse visual or landscape effects, the applicants said.
Noise from guests in the spas was "unlikely to be a noticeable element in the context of the area".
