Paddles or power at centre of Lake Karāpiro plan debate
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Tensions between rowers, paddlers and powerboaters over the use of the region’s most popular lake are at the centre of hearings this week on managing the future of Lake Karāpiro Domain.
More than 800 submissions on the draft reserve management plan and masterplan have flooded into Waipā District Council.
The council sought feedback on managing an area that’s increasingly where elite sports like rowing, mass events like waka ama and high profile powerboat races, as well as casual users are jostling for space and time on the water.
Xyst senior consultant Dafydd Pettigrew said a major area of contention in the submissions was the use of language which gave priority to non-motorised aquatic sports and recreation.
“Rowing, paddlesports, waka ama - they sought to retain and strengthen that language. Motorised recreational organisations argued for a shared use approach rather than a hierachy.”
He said there was universal support for environmental protections in the domain as well as a strong desire to keep the area accessible to everyone. There was broad support for infrastructure upgrades provided they were fiscally responsible and justifiable.
There was little to no support for a swim zone along the lake’s edge, and “significant” concern from submitters about the proposed consolidation of user groups. There was a mixed response about river realignment.
“All submitters obviously value this domain massively,” he concluded.
Rowing New Zealand chief executive Simon Wickham said the lake and reserve were highly important to rowers.
“I don’t think you’ll find any other group which is more passionate than looking after that reserve, that piece of water, than ourselves and local iwi.”
He emphasised there was only one other venue in New Zealand, Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel, which came close to Lake Karāpiro as a rowing facility.
“Rowing New Zealand is not against motorised use of the lake, that’s not our intention, but it is trying to re-emphasise the importance that this lake has to non-motorised users - to rowers - that they simply cannot find in other parts of the country.”
Councillor Aidhean Camson asked what the practical outcome of the non-motorised language was for Rowing New Zealand in the future.
“For us and all of [the] community it signals intent and prioritises non-motorised use which is what we’re seeking, or it doesn’t,” said Wickham.
He said there was a “relatively simple” solution to fix most lake users’ issues, which would be to build a second boat ramp.
New Zealand Power Boat Association member David Cassidy acknowledged access to the lake for motorised and non-motorised users had been a “polarising” topic.
“What we struggle to support are the elements of the draft plan that remove the ability of those longstanding lake users to continue to enjoy the facilities, and the restriction of motorised access of those facilities.”
He said Lake Karāpiro had been a part of power boat racing in New Zealand for more than 50 years and it would be a “big loss” for the sport if their events could no longer go ahead.
He told councillors different groups were currently able to use the lake because there were multiple access points and shared respect between users.
“As much as we may argue with the rowers and the rowers may argue with us, ultimately we both want to continue to use the space.”
Cassidy said the lake had attracted people to move to the Waipā district, including himself, describing it as “an amazing resource that all parties, ultimately, should be able to utilise”.
“While we acknowledge it’s New Zealand’s premier rowing venue, it’s also New Zealand’s premier powerboat racing venue as well.”
Another concern which came up amongst submitters was the impact of the invasive aquatic weed hornwort in the lake.
Waka Ama New Zealand chief executive Lara Collins said the organisation wanted to restore the waterway so present and future users could experience the positive benefits from Karapiko Lake and the domain.
She told elected members that the presence of hornwort was “for us, a major issue”.
“Whilst all of our participants are on the land and that’s where the facilities are mostly used, we can’t have the event if we can’t race and from an event point of view, the weed is something we need a long-term plan for.”
“From an environmental perspective, the river is not as healthy as it could be and we need some solutions in that space.”
Mayor Mike Pettit asked if implementing a levy onto lake users could be part of a solution to help control the weed.
“I think before we would consider imposing a levy onto our participants we would need to see a plan and the cost for that plan and how the longevity of that plan was to work out,” replied Collins.
The remaining submissions will be heard on Wednesday before the Strategic Planning and Policy committee deliberates on 28 May.