Invercargill City Council has called for the community to have their say on the long-term vision for the Sandy Point Domain.

Invercargill City Councillors agreed at a Community Wellbeing Committee meeting on Tuesday September 12 to release the Sandy Point Domain Masterplan, and begin engagement on reviewing its Management Plan with the community.

Invercargill City Council Manager – Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said Council asked consultants Boffa Miskell in January 2022 to prepare the masterplan, which identified a plan for the long-term use of the Sandy Point Domain.

“The Sandy Point Domain Masterplan sets out a roadmap for the area for the next 10, 25, and 50 years. The masterplan sets out a long-term, strategic approach to what we know is a highly valued recreational area in our city, which will in turn guide asset renewal and development, as well as future funding decisions,” she said.

The draft masterplan was developed after public consultation with key partners,  stakeholders and the wider community.

“The masterplan provides that big picture vision for the domain, so that we are able to cohesively address the challenges it’s facing, how the domain can be maintained, and how it can be enhanced so that Sandy Point continues to be a place our community can enjoy,” Rain said.

The masterplan had identified several challenges for the Sandy Point Domain, including remaining relevant to future population and recreational trends, the quality and appropriateness of assets, facilities, and the way the land was used, and the potential impact of climate change and sea level rise on the area, she said.

The overarching strategy in the masterplan was to enhance the recreational offering, promote the unique visitor experience both to locals and visitors to Invercargill, build environmental resilience, and ensure adaptive management was put in place, she said.

“Being able to get that input from stakeholders and users of the domain was incredibly valuable, as that feedback was incorporated into the draft masterplan,” she said.

“For example, one of the themes that came through was that the domain’s existing infrastructure was a bit tired – so the plan proposes consolidating some of those ‘like’ activities and creating multi-purpose facilities that various recreational clubs can use.

“Another theme was a desire to make Sandy Point a bit more family-friendly: the draft masterplan envisages the development of an eco-adventure area. There are lots of exciting opportunities to consider, but first we need to figure out the tangible steps we need to take to get there,” Rain said.

The public consultation period will run from September 30 to December 15. The community can have their say online at letstalk.icc.govt.nz

“We’re looking forward to having those conversations with the community, and getting their feedback on how they would like to see Sandy Point Domain be part of their lives, today and into the future,” Rain said.