Kapiti Island Visitor Experience |
Visitors to Kapiti Island are not seeing us at our best
Kapiti Island is our Treasure / Taonga of the Kapiti Coast.
Two business operators are taking thousands of visitors per year to the Island (over 10,000 last season).
The Department of Conservation want to increase numbers significantly, maximum allowable annual visitor permits for Kapiti Island is 31,000*. Department Of Conservation have increased budgets and stated policy "10.3.4.7 Investigate the feasibility of establishing a gateway centre/visitor facility at Paraparaumu to enhance visitor experience and help to optimise biosecurity practices on Kāpiti and Mana islands"
KCDC have presented three options for the Maclean Park Re-Development Plan to the community. This brought to light the proposal to spend up to $20 million dollars on a grand scheme for the boating club and associated land to develop into a Kapiti Island Visitor / Bio Security Hub.
Instead of spending 20 million dollars, couldn't our local community and businesses support a smaller scheme? That is fit for purpose NOW, and could be expanded as need arises??? Surely with the right approach and with funding from the Department of Conservation there could be a community supported initiative, to design and build a Visitor / Bio Security Hub sooner rather than later?
We need to have a place to welcome our visitors, to share information, and to carry out the important Bio Security checks required by Department of Conservation that protect our Treasure/Taonga - Kapiti Island
We want to know what you think? Please tell us it is important to our community
* from the Kapiti Visitor Attraction Strategy (2015-2020) prepared by Destination Planning Ltd