The Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) has sent the vexed issue of campervans parking on Wānaka’s lakefront to a council district-wide parking review, which will involve more consultation and won’t conclude until some time next year.

The council spent $15,000 on signage on the revamped Ardmore Street prohibiting campervans from parking there, in line with feedback from the community during consultation on the lakefront redevelopment.

Community consultation formed a significant part of the four year process before the plans were signed off at the end of 2020.

The new signs have, however, failed to deter campervans from parking in the lakefront parks, and the WUCCB has sent the issue to a district-wide parking review which will take more than a year to complete, and involve yet more consultation.

A Wānaka resident recently raised concerns on social media, saying it was frustrating that council wasn’t enforcing the parking rules along Ardmore Street.

“If the council makes the rules someone needs to be out enforcing it… [if there are not enough staff] then don’t put the signs up. It makes a mockery and frustrates holiday makers doing the right thing,” she said.

WUCCB chair Simon Telfer responded that these were valid points which the board had spoken about at length.

He said he had asked QLDC staff to include the issue in a parking management review, and had also asked for a “formal opinion on the board’s powers to limit campervan parking in certain areas”.

Simon added that council needs to ensure its staff “don’t all take holidays during the busiest time for the town… we will hopefully get a balance around this next festive season.”

The Wānaka App asked Simon what had been learned from the January parking trial, which the ‘no campervans’ signage was part of.

He said council staff were “still discussing specific learnings with the community board” and this would be discussed at another workshop on February 22.

“In the meantime, the board recognises that parking requires a town-wide solution and that issues around parking enforcement are very complex,” Simon said.

While council staff and the community board pondered the issues, the Wānaka App popped down to Ardmore Street and spoke to a German family who were parked in their campervan, directly in front of a ‘No campervans or large passenger vehicles’ sign.

Some campervan owners are not aware the signs prohibit parking as well as overnight camping.

The couple said they had stayed in a local camping ground and decided to come and park on the lakefront to eat their breakfast as they had noticed lots of campervans there the previous day and thought “it must be scenic”.

The man said he was aware of other places to park, such as opposite the lakefront parks; on the other side of Pembroke Park adjacent to Brownston Street; the Dungarvon car park; and “a lot of space” along McDougall Street.

The couple said the signs on Ardmore Street only referred to overnight camping, but when the Wānaka App drew their attention to the second sign below, they realised it included no parking.

“Oh, I see it now,” the woman said.

But the tourists were puzzled: “These parks look designed for campervans,” the man said.

QLDC spokesperson Sam White said work is expected to begin on a district-wide parking strategy in April, and a comprehensive parking management plan for Wānaka sometime later. 

“Both these will consider campervans alongside other vehicles and will include consultation with a variety of groups and associations as well as the community as a whole. The process is likely to run into the first half of 2024.”

PHOTOS: Wānaka App