Brooklyn Water Ski Club is looking for a new home on Lake Karāpiro.
Longstanding club committee member Glenn Harrop told The News the 60-year-old club was looking for a sympathetic landowner to lease it a paddock when its current lakeside lease at Maungatautari Road, Leamington, runs out on July 31.
Lake Karapiro
The club, which has occupied the land since 1964, has been in negotiations of sorts with Ngāti Koroki Kahukura since 2014, when a Treaty of Waitangi Settlement saw the land returned from Department of Conservation ownership.
“It’s just been a long, drawn-out negotiation period,” said Harrop.
“They approached us and said we could work together and share the space. We said possibly and went back to them with a plan, and they said no, we’ll just wait until your lease expires.”
The club held two 30-year leases with the Department of Conservation, the first starting in 1964, the second in 1994. It has around 320 members from around 80 families who pay an annual membership of $250.
“it’s a real tough one to swallow, we’ve been there 60 years. We’ve developed that place from a hill covered in gorse and blackberry to a pretty amazing space without any funding from any councils or government.”
That includes a private boat ramp and club house including a full kitchen, dining room, showers, and deck with barbecue facilities.
“It’s pretty said to see it taken away from us. A lot of people are disappointed. Thousands of people have been involved over the years.”
Karāpiro Waka Ama president Lee Ann Muntz said the group had recently been notified that they had secured a five year lease to occupy part of the Taumatawiiwii Reserve.
“We are currently awaiting confirmation of details from the property group with regards to the timings of the process.”
