Camping Fees Set for 2024-25 Season

Council has set the fees and charges for the Waimate Lakes Camping activity for the 2024/25 season.

The cost of a season pass has been raised to $500, up from $450 last season. The price for a family pass has been increased from $25 per night to $30.

When coming to the decision, Council had to balance the desire to keep the camping affordable, while also ensuring campers who benefit from the well-maintained facilities pay an appropriate share. Of all the visitors to the area last year, only 14% came from the Waimate District.

Overall, the activity continues to run at a loss, with the deficit to 30 June 2024 estimated at $97,000, which is an improvement of approximately $28,000 compared to the previous year’s deficit of $125,000. This reduction is a direct result of increased fees and charges implemented last year.

The deficit is funded by the camping activity reserve (built up from surpluses from prior years), however this has been depleting since 2019 and Council has been moving towards a break-even price structure.

Mayor Craig Rowley said it was a balancing act between keeping up with rising costs and keeping the facilities accessible to as many people as possible.

“We want to keep camping affordable for everyone but unfortunately our costs have been rising over the past few years and we need to keep the facilities up to a good standard.”

“The season pass works out to be $15.50 per week, which is far cheaper than most camping grounds in the country.”

“A recent survey showed an overall camping experience rating of 89%, so we feel we are on the right track.”

Opening day will be 14 September 2024, with gates opening at 8am and the last day of the season will be 27 April 2025.