A public meeting intended to assuage concerns over the future of the ‘Kiwi camping experience’ at Glendhu Bay’s beloved holiday park appeared to win over most attendees.

Dozens of people, a mixture of locals and campground users, filled the camping ground’s guest lounge yesterday (Friday May 17) for the meeting led by Hampshire Holiday Parks, the holiday park’s new leaseholders.

Hampshire Holiday Parks CEO Frank Sharley told the crowd he was aware of “a lot of rumours” about changes to the park, ranging from drastic price increases to turning the site into a hotel.

“The point of this meeting is a little bit of clarification,” he said. “We’re not coming in here making wholesale changes to the park.”

Any “tweaks” would be focused on driving demand in the shoulder seasons, Frank said, while the peak season was already “perfect”.

He told long-term campers they were the “backbone of the business” and said the company would have to “be mad” to try to upset the established customer base.

The company was aware the holiday park had been gifted to Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) by the Scaife family as an affordable park for everyday Kiwis, he said.

“It’s business as usual,” he said. “We will not change the character of the place and won’t upset the Kiwi camping model.”

Dozens of people turned out for a meeting on the future of Glendhu Bay’s iconic lakefront holiday park.

Hampshire Holiday Parks acquired the lease to the park, as well as a handful of others around the district, last year after receiving Overseas Investment Office (OIO) approval.

People who are concerned the company would substantially alter the park should be reassured by the terms of the OIO office approval and the “tough terms” of the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) lease, Frank said. 

“While we are a business and we need a [return on investment] we understood the parameters when we did our due diligence,” he said. 

Changes the new leaseholders had made so far include sewer and bore treatment, laundry machine replacements, a new garbage truck and the like.

None of the planned future improvements (refurbishment of the Lake House and cabins as required, minor upgrades to ablution blocks, five tiny houses for the shoulder season, improved wifi etc) were significant, Frank said.

He apologised for an error with the online pricing system which had mistakenly shown increased pricing for the peak season and had since been rectified, and for not holding the public meeting sooner. 

Frank and the Hampshire Holiday Parks team fielded a range of questions and queries, most of which were well-received and covered day-to-day issues (like suggestions for more food vendors on-site, increasing security for night-time noise and disruptions, caravan storage and boat ramp fees).

A handful of attendees thanked the company for holding the meeting and said it had alleviated their concerns.

There was some tense questioning over whether the company would guarantee half-price camping for children in the long-term, or guarantee multiple sites for campers’ family and friends, and Frank was clear he could not make promises on the finer details years in the future.

“I’m really conscious of not wedding myself into a position and making a promise or representation that might not fit next week, next year, or in five years’ time,” he said.

 “What I can guarantee is an affordable Kiwi camp because that’s what I’ve undertaken.”

Campers, locals and anyone else with an interest can complete a survey designed to gauge community sentiment on the holiday parks facilities, amenities and services here.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App