After years of consent applications and appeals Wanaka's controversial lakefront watersports facility is set to soon become a reality. After more than two months of negotiation, the Environment Court released its final decision on the Wanaka Watersports Facility late last month. Since the interim decision was released, the two parties have been negotiating the conditions of the consent suggested by the court. Wanaka Watersports Facility Trust chairman Michael Sidey said the trust hoped to have a consent application lodged with the council by the end of October. If there were no issues with the consent process, work could start early next year, with an aim of finishing construction by the later half of 2018.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 19, 2017 17:13 UTC