An application to establish a sightseeing e-bike rental and food/coffee caravan on the Wanaka lakefront has been rejected by council staff, who believe the lakefront is at “commercial capacity”.

LandEscape, which operates an e-bike and hot-tub tourism business on 115 hectares near Hāwea Flat, applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for a licence to operate a mobile facility on the Roys Bay recreational reserve beside the Mt Aspiring Road car park.

Active sightseeing proposal

The concept is to promote active sightseeing by e-bike. Initially it would use a mobile coffee caravan with outdoor seating as a focal point on the foreshore where e-bike test rides and safety briefings could occur. 

LandEscape already has 82 e-bikes designed for sightseeing, numerous spare batteries available from multiple locations for swapping, and a shuttle service to pick up and drop off visitors at their accommodation.

LandEscape's YouMo e-bikes are especially designed for cruising and sightseeing. PHOTO: Supplied

LandEscape owner Rik Deaton acknowledged that “unfettered usage of the lakefront reserve by commercial interests” wasn’t desirable but is convinced his proposal, which is more than just a bike rental operation, would benefit the community.

It is a comprehensive strategy to replace sightseeing visitors’ cars and motorhomes by providing “a viable and desirable alternative for sightseers”, he said, and is consistent with council’s stated objective to encourage active transport.

“It [his proposal] is a synergistic, high-volume, electric bicycle operation...that puts our second transportation network (cycle trails) to work alongside our road system.”

Seeking redress 

Rik took his concerns to the Wanaka Community Board (WCB) earlier this month (November 5), but was declined the opportunity to present his case during public forum by chair Barry Bruce, on the grounds Rik hadn’t pre-registered to speak and his statement would have exceeded the allocated three minute timeframe.

Instead, Rik provided a written summary of his application to date, which indicated he had approached elected members at a WCB drop-in session in September 2019 and was advised of the possibility of a suitable site on the foreshore beside the new Mt Aspiring Road car park.

A food trailer, similar to this Airstream, is considered the most likely option and it would be wrapped in LandEscape’s corporate artwork with e-bikes, hot tubs and Lake Hāwea and the mountains in the background. PHOTO: Supplied

On the basis of this, LandEscape employed a professional planner and applied to the QLDC for the licence to operate on the Roys Bay foreshore. But Rik’s application wasn’t supported by council senior parks and reserves planner Aaron Burt.

Lakefront at ‘commercial capacity’

Aaron told the Wanaka App the location identified for the proposal, in the Roys Bay - Pembroke Park Open Space and Connection area, wasn’t suitable for commercial licences and “the LandEscape activity suggested would limit the ability of the public to enjoy the reserve in the area sought”.

Aaron said council also had to consider the volume of proposals for the lakeshore reserves balanced against the popularity of those reserves for public/community recreational use and “the reality is that commercial concepts requiring a licence or lease are typically unsuccessful.” 

He said the council anticipated commercial activities on the CDB lakefront where they could be clustered to reduce the impact on the community's recreational use of the reserve. Both Paddle Wanaka and Lakeland Adventures have been issued commercial licences to operate on this portion of the recreational reserve.  

In the case of Lakeland Adventures the licence to operate replaced its previous activity based at the log cabin (recently removed), and was appropriate in that location, Aaron said.

The Lakeland Adventure’s licence was approved by the WCB in May. At the time, some WCB members and Wanaka-based councillors had concerns about the size of the operations but agreed that every effort should be made to support local businesses through the economic difficulties of COVID-19 and having a vibrant lakefront was important.

Under the Reserves Act, the council must ensure the values of public reserves are not eroded by commercial use, Aaron said, and the CBD lakefront has reached “its commercial capacity”.

Instead, Aaron recommended LandEscape “utilise commercial premises in the CBD to operate its business”.

Next steps

Rik said commercial premises in the CBD isn’t a practical solution for a number of reasons, including that e-bikes are bulky and the number required was too great for the limited space of a CDB shop, and no premises in the town centre included a space to safely provide riding tuition for uninitiated visitors.

Not easily deterred, Rik has resubmitted LandEscape’s application for a licence to operate and said if the application is rebuffed once more council should “expect that decision to be challenged in court”.