Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is giving owners of boats and kayaks on reserve land near Edgewater Resort until November 23 to remove them before council disposes of them.

QLDC parks manager Dave Winterburn told the Wānaka App that complaints had been received from members of the public “about the large number of boats and kayaks in the council reserve near Morrows Mead”.

“Some are in poor condition and seemingly unused for some time,” he said.

“We’re keen to contact the owners of these vessels to find out which are still in use – and effectively being stored on the reserve – and which, if any, have been abandoned.

Council staff have placed notices on vessels along the lakeshore, requesting owners remove them from the reserve by November 23.

If an item is not removed by that date, the signs say, “QLDC will dispose of it”.

“Our aim is to make sure public reserves like this one are kept clear and used appropriately so they’re safe and available for everyone in the community to enjoy,” Dave said.

Council signs say “trespasses with any vehicle or boat on any reserve” are an offence under the Reserves Act.

As the notices point out, “there’s also our legal requirement to enforce the Reserves Act which we’re happy to talk through with the owners”, he added.

Dave said if any vessels remain in use but their owners can’t remove them by November 23, the owners should contact QLDC’s customer services team (as per the notice) or parks team ([email protected]). 

“Any which we’re told are abandoned, or which aren’t removed from the reserve by this date, will initially be moved to a single location so they’re not scattered throughout the reserve over the busy summer period,” he said.

“We’ll then assess next steps which may result in any unclaimed vessels being disposed of.”

PHOTOS: Wānaka App