Lancelot Grove leads into Otaraua Park. Photo / David Haxton
Development of the expansive Otaraua Park, in Otaihanga, on the Kāpiti Coast, has been put on hold as costs have skyrocketed.
And with the lack of development has come antisocial behaviour that has concerned residents in the area.
The park, alongside the picturesque Waikanae River, has a main entrance in Lancelot Grove, off King Arthur Drive.
Kāpiti Coast District Council bought 60 hectares of land for Otaraua Park in 2012 to “create a multi-purpose, sustainable, regionally significant sport and recreation park which supports the district’s economic growth as well as its cultural and ecological identities”.
A 20-year staged development plan was adopted in 2018 and included a variety of features from sports fields, a multi-purpose track, a pavilion amenity block, new roads and more.
Work has been done to create sports fields, a gravel parking area and entrance at Lancelot Grove but not much else.
A sports pavilion and amenities block was expected to be built last year but had reached only the design phase.
A report to the council’s climate and environment subcommittee in November last year said $5.9 million had been allocated in the Long-Term Plan to build a pavilion and to work alongside sports codes to “develop an operating model to meet recreation outcomes”.
But as further information came to light about the site, the estimate had risen to $17.15m – and there were other price hikes too.
“Unbudgeted operating costs are also likely to be significant, and consenting costs likely to be an additional $250,000.
“As well as escalation, there are additional costs around essential landscaping, water supply and wastewater that are more significant than has been anticipated.
“A closer focus on the carbon impact of a remote site that is not connected to public transport has raised further doubt about whether this is the right time to proceed.”
The report said that, through reviewing asset management plans, it had been identified that the council needed to prioritise “looking after existing assets that are in poor condition before adding new assets”.
“It is not yet clear if the existing assets could be better utilised – a sports field demand study is currently underway.”
So council officers considered the park development “does not need to happen now” and proposed it was “placed on hold for the time being”.
The subcommittee endorsed the recommendation.
The lack of development and supervision at Otaraua Park had led to an increase in antisocial behaviour in and around the park, said a resident who didn’t want to be identified.
“This situation is contrary to the council’s original vision set out in 2013 of establishing a central recreation hub that is safe for the community to enjoy with their families and friends.”
He said 30 to 40 people from the Camelot and Greendale community met council representatives a year ago to “bring the deteriorating condition of Otaraua Park to the council’s attention”.
Council chief executive Darren Edwards had been contacted recently by the group to hear their concerns.
Issues included car burnouts, theft, property damage, trespassing, public alcohol consumption, drug trafficking and use, public urination, freedom camping, homelessness, rubbish dumping and littering, including glass.
On one occasion a large solar light was damaged when someone fired a gun at it. Police found a bullet.
The resident said intervention statistics from police, from 2019 to mid-2023, showed offences in the area had “increased dramatically”.
A lack of supervision meant the area had become “a magnet of antisocial behaviour”.
“It’s not really community friendly, which goes against their [council] principles.”
He said the council had installed a gate at the entrance of Lancelot Grove that was supposed to be shut and locked from dusk to dawn, but it was open half the week.
Another gate, at the start of the gravel car park, was “not locked”.
If the council wasn’t going to develop the park, he said, it needed to look at ways to prevent it being abused. He suggested additional planting, security cameras, bollards, speed bumps, compliance signage and more surveillance by the council, police and community patrols.
The objective of the residents’ group was to “raise awareness about the situation in Otaraua Park in the hope that the council will adopt a more proactive approach in funding its development and enhancing safety in the area, so it does not continue to decline”.
Council parks and outdoor recreation team leader Trevor Jackson said: “We are noticing an increase in antisocial behaviour like graffiti and vandalism around the Kāpiti district, including at Otaraua Park.
“This is a shame and costs significant ratepayer money each year to repair or clean up intentional damage.
“Our teams are in regular contact with local police and community patrols to see how we can work more effectively on these matters together.
“Regarding Otaraua Park, we do random security checks, which we increase when reports of antisocial behaviour grow. The park is gated from dusk until dawn to prevent vehicle access and we recently moved the entrance gate out further to prevent cars accessing the car park at night.
“We appreciate the concern from the local community and are looking at what else we could do at Otaraua Park to improve its safety and amenity.
“It’s important that any instances of antisocial behaviour are logged with council so we can get things sorted as quickly as possible.
“If you see any suspicious behaviour around public buildings or the facilities in our parks and reserves, please contact the police immediately.”