Construction of Wānaka’s long-awaited Marine Rescue Centre (MRC) will finally get underway next week as ground is broken on the approved site for the MRC at Eely Point reserve.

The MRC is the initiative of Coastguard Wānaka Lakes (CWL) and has taken six years of applications, discussions, fundraising and public feedback to get to this stage.

CWL president Jonathan Walmisley said the process to approve the district’s only dedicated marine emergency rescue centre had been “arduous but thorough” and after the six year battle it’s hoped the building will take only six to seven months to complete.

“If everything goes to plan it will be all done and dusted by October,” he said. 

Breen Construction has been contracted to erect the 220m2 building, which includes a shed for the new rescue boat, trailer and vehicle, a separate briefing room/communications hub complete with ablutions and a kitchenette, and an equipment storage space to be shared with the harbourmaster. 

“We’re very conscious of the high regard Eely Point reserve has with local users so we deliberately left the start [of the build] until after Waitangi weekend to minimise the disruption,” Jonathan said.

Clearing 25 mature pine trees from the site is the first priority and, in accordance with the council’s safety requirements, Lakeside Drive and the main access to Eely Point reserve will be briefly closed from time to time this month while the trees are felled. Vehicle access to the reserve will still be available off Aubrey Road. 

The rescue centre will be built near the Lakeside Road entrance to Eely Point reserve. IMAGE: Supplied

The trees, which will be sold as firewood or reused as mulch, will be replaced with almost 200 native plants which will be established to screen the building in accordance with the approved resource consent. 

The building site will be cordoned off and although the top access path to the Scout Den will also be closed during construction, access will still be available from the lower road. The cordon shouldn’t affect the Frisbee Golf course, Jonathan said. 

Lake Wānaka is by far the busiest lake in the district with as many as 3,000 boaties on the lake during a normal summer season.

Jonathan said the rescue centre will give CWL a purpose-built home, reduce response times and “improve the support we give to the community”. 

The total project cost “will be close to a million dollars” and organisations, such as the Otago Community Trust, Central Lakes Trust, Coastguard New Zealand and a host of local service groups and individuals have contributed to project funding to enable “the dream to become a reality,” he said.

“We… have been very appreciative of the support we have received from the Wānaka community in getting this far.”