Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I review the draft Motutere Reserve Management Plan?
You can access it here.
How do I make a submission?
The easiest way is to email your submission to Taupō District Council at motutereconsultation@taupo.govt.nz
We offer a customisable template on our 'Make a Submission' page, or you can write your submission directly in an email. For guidance on what to include, visit our 'Make a Submission' page.
Does the draft Motutere RMP just cover lakeshore camping?
No. The draft Motutere RMP is a comprehensive document covering a range of reserve management issues relevant to Motutere Reserve.
Lakeshore camping is only one of a number of those issues, but it will be highly contested by the campground owner and lakeshore campers, so it is the focus of the #RestorePublicAccesstoMotutereBay campaign.
If you want to submit on other aspects of the draft Motutere RMP you can cover those points in your submission, or respond to the Council’s submission questionnaire on the draft RMP.
The hapū will release its views on the other aspects of the draft RMP on this webpage by 30 September 2024, so you can support those if you wish.
14 years is so far away. Why can’t public access be restored sooner?
The existing campground lease does not expire for another 14 years. The campground owner is legally entitled to maintain the status quo of lakeshore camping right across Motutere Bay if desired. 2038 represents the earliest date that public access to the full extent of the Motutere Bay lakeshore is possible.
While it is a way away, the hapū say that it is worth waiting for to provide a certain outcome of respectful public access. It is a mokopuna decision: a decision now that will benefit future generations.
Can you explain the public day use and campground lease lakeshore proposal described in the draft Motutere RMP? Why not support that?
The draft Motutere RMP includes Outcome 4.3, which states “Motutere Bay lakeshore reserve west of the boat ramp will transition to public day use area, and the campground lease area east of the boat ramp will be used for tenting only.”
This is presented as aimed at achieving a better balance between the interests of all reserve users and the interests of campers.
However, this ‘outcome’ can only occur under a new lease arrangement with the campground owner (the RMP cannot interfere with existing lease rights). This means the ‘outcome’ is dependent on Taupō District Council and the campground owner reaching an agreement in future lease negotiations.
The campground owner has shared in past public Council meetings that he is seeking a new 33-year lease. If the draft RMP permits lakeshore camping on the eastern side of the boat ramp there is a risk that lakeshore camping in this part of the lakeshore is locked in for a further 33 years, to 2057. That is 19 years longer than the expiry of all lakeshore camping under the existing lease.
This is why the hapū does not support the public day use and campground lease lakeshore proposal. Instead, we want no lakeshore camping at Motutere Bay from 2038, on the expiry of the existing lease.
Who can submit on the draft RMP?
Anyone can submit on the draft RMP. We particularly encourage Taupō District residents and ratepayers, Ngāti Te Rangiita ki Waitetoko hapū and Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi members (whether living in the Taupō District or not), and those with a general interest in restoring respectful public access to Motutere Bay, to submit.
Do you really need my individual submission?
Yes. The issue will be highly contested by the campground owner and lakeshore campers. We need to flood Taupō District Council with hundreds of individual submissions opposing lakeshore camping so that the decision for the Council is clear.
Do I need to make another submission if I already submitted in the first round?
Yes. The first round was a pre-draft consultation. This round focuses on the Draft Reserve Management Plan. Although we worked with Taupō District Council on the updated plan and saw some good changes, we couldn’t secure a clear direction for no lakeshore camping. That’s why it’s essential for everyone, especially hapū, iwi and Taupō residents, to submit again, urging against lakeshore camping. Submissions close on 4 November 2024.
Is there an end date to the lease that Taupō District Council has over the campground and the sub-lease with Top 10?
There is only one lease between Taupō District Council (lessor) and Top 10 Holiday Park (lessee), which expires in 2038. As the Reserve Management Plan is currently under review, now is the opportunity to voice your preferences regarding lakeshore camping and general camping at Motutere Bay.