A new Porirua Adventure Park secures new funding but still needs more from the community. Photo / Porirua City Council
A new Porirua Adventure Park secures new funding but still needs more from the community. Photo / Porirua City Council
New funding has been secured to build an Adventure Park and gondola in Porirua, however substantial investment is still needed from the community to see the attraction completed.
The Park, planned to be built on Porirua's Te Rāhui o Rangituhi, was put on hold in 2019 after the Covid-19 pandemiccreated uncertainty in the tourism sector.
But Select Contracts NZ, the company behind the development, has now secured anchor investment partners, enabling it to re-launch its investment program.
Regional Director Darron Charity said it represents a huge vote of confidence in the project.
"This takes us a significant step closer to installing the gondola that will be the focal point of this development."
Alongside the gondola - which will rise to 290 metres - the park will also feature a top station restaurant, walking trails and the Southern Hemisphere's longest dual zipline which will stretch for 1.4km.
Charity said they were now working on finding the remaining capital needed for the construction phase.
"This will include a secure portion of the investment being available to 'Mum and Dad' investors.
"We are keen to ensure that the community, which has been so supportive of this project, has the opportunity to be a part of making it happen."
Future developments will include an indoor standing surf wave. Public access to the park and all of the trails will be free, with the option of paying to use facilities such as the gondola, bike hire, learn to ride programmes, zipline and the standing surf wave.
The park is being developed in partnership with Wellington NZ, Ngāti Toa and Porirua City Council.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said it is great news for Porirua and the wider Wellington region.
"Te Rāhui o Rangituhi is a culturally important and beautiful site and I love that this project honours those qualities while enabling more people to enjoy it."
Mana MP Barbara Edmonds said the park will be an asset for the area.
"Seeing a tourism development of this magnitude forging ahead post-Covid is heartening for all of New Zealand."
