Lease will formalise Water Ski Club presence at Kai Iwi Lakes

The Taharoa Domain Governance Committee and Kai Iwi Lakes Water Ski Club are working to prepare a lease which will formalise the water ski club’s occupancy at Lake Waikere.

The Club has been based on the lake’s western shores since 1969 and has established clubrooms and small camping area.

It has operated under an arrangement based on an exchange of letters between the Club and Kaipara District Council’s predecessor, the Hobson County Council.

However, the 2002 Taharoa Domain Reserve Management Plan identified the need for an official lease formalising the Kai Iwi Lakes Water Ski Club’s tenancy, to protect both the Club’s and public interests. This is supported by both the Club and the Taharoa Domain Governance Committee which has delegated authority to administer the Domain on the Kaipara District Council’s behalf under the provisions of the Reserves Act 1977.

The Governance Committee has asked the Kai Iwi Lakes Water Ski Club to provide provisions it would like to see in the document and these, plus the governance committee’s own ideas, are being sent to Council’s lawyers to be incorporated into a draft lease document.

This will be then referred to the iwi with responsibility for the Taharoa Domain, Te Kuihi and Te Roroa, for their comment and once this is received negotiations will commence with the Kai Iwi Lakes Water Ski Club.

Kaipara District Council Chief Executive Jack McKerchar says both parties are positive about the outcome and he hopes significant progress can be made by the Governance Committee’s next meeting in September.