NEGOTIATIONS: Wanganui District Council has provided labour and funding for equipment to help clean up at
Riverland Family Park. PHOTOS/ BEVAN CONLEY 290915WCBRCRIV01
NEGOTIATIONS: Wanganui District Council has provided labour and funding for equipment to help clean up at
Riverland Family Park. PHOTOS/ BEVAN CONLEY 290915WCBRCRIV01
The recovery of the flood-ravaged Riverland Family Park has been left in limbo by a dispute over who is liable for the clean-up.
Michael Wilson, business owner of the Anzac Parade park, which he leases from Wanganui District Council, believes the council is responsible, but the council is not sosure.
Mr Wilson told the Chronicle his lease stated that he is not responsible for damage caused by natural disasters and he was disappointed that the council, as his landlord, was disputing the terms of the lease.
"The council has caused myself and family great stress for not performing according to our lease," he said.
Mr Wilson has submitted a claim against the Wanganui District Council, which is being considered by their insurer.
Council deputy property manager Leighton Toy commented: "While the council and Mr Wilson have not yet resolved who is liable for the damage caused by the flooding to Riverland Family Park, we have allocated relief funds to hire equipment for Mr Wilson to use for removing silt from the site.
"We have also allocated time from the Flood Relief Team, a project organised by the council and the Ministry of Social Development. The team of 10 people has spent more than 80 hours each on the Riverland site, cleaning mud and debris."
Mr Toy said the council understood how difficult it had been for businesses and individuals who had suffered damage because of the flooding. "Mr Wilson is entitled to accept help from the public to continue the clean-up, and we look forward to the time when the area is up and running again with activities for visitors and locals."
The flooding of June 20 and 21 saw the Whanganui River devastate the Riverland Park and the next-door Kowhai Park.
Mr Wilson has operated the park - which includes mini-golf, go-karts and bumper boats - for almost three years after moving to Wanganui with his family from Durban in South Africa.
"It has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, but we remain positive to have Riverland bigger and better than it was before the disaster," he said.
He told the Chronicle he had seen pictures from the 1990 floods, so had an idea of the problems. "But I was comforted that the lease states we are not liable for the clean-up and costs relating to a natural disaster."
He appreciated the assistance of the workers sent by the council and said: "We thank the community that have offered their help with the clean-up, but we have been unable to accept for health and safety reasons due to the sewage spill."
