But the president of a Wānaka skate club is optimistic they can work with the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to deliver the lighting project with a much lower price tag.
The pricing details were included in a presentation made to the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board by the council’s parks team at a workshop yesterday.
Acknowledging the modest parks budget included in the council’s recently confirmed long-term plan, QLDC parks manager Dave Winterburn told board members any funds put towards the skatepark lighting would need to come from a "minor improvements" budget set aside for small-scale upgrades across the district.
That budget had only been allocated $320,000 for the first two years of the plan, so the council would be unlikely to fund the lighting project themselves.
In response to questions, Mr Winterburn said the parks team were yet to have any discussions with Wānaka Skate Club about potentially co-funding the project, but would do so soon.
Wānaka Skate Club president Olly Burke said the club was keen to discuss the project with the council, as they were confident they could "actually bring those costs down a heap".
"First of all, we don’t need 16 lights — we’re only asking for six.
"So they’ve just gone a little bit overboard on the estimate. We’ve just got to work in with council and work in with the skate club and try and fundraise a fair percentage of it."
He stressed the skatepark only needed low impact lighting to allow for skating "for a couple of hours after dark in winter", while also improving the park’s overall safety measures.
"That bowl, the deep bowl, is effectively an empty 13-foot swimming pool in the middle of council land.
"At a bare minimum, that should have some low-level lighting so it can be seen at night before someone falls in there," Mr Burke said.
