Reid’s Farm management review to gauge community opinions

Members of the community are being encouraged to have their say to help shape the future of Taupō's popular Reid's Farm reserve.

The reserve, located on the banks of the Waikato River north of Taupō has been a popular location for picnicking, sightseeing, kayaking and camping for many years. Recently there have been concerns about an increase in anti-social behaviour at the site, especially by people camping at the reserve.

A review of the reserve's management plan is currently underway and the community is being encouraged to have their say on how Reid's Farm will be managed in the future by completing a short survey. Survey responses will be considered by a working party that has been formed to investigate the issue and after further consultation, will inform council's decision making.This group includes key stakeholders, councillors, and council staff as well as representatives from Destination Great Lake Taupō, central government agencies, police, local iwi and hapu and the wider community.

Policy manager Nick Carroll said the review will look at how the reserve is used as a whole, and what people would like to see Reid's Farm used for in the future.

"Many people use the reserve for a range of activities as well as visitors who use the reserve as a freedom camping spot. As part of this initial consultation we'd like to hear from as many people as possible - from local residents and organisations, to visitors who use the reserve. We want to know what people value about Reid's Farm, and what improvements they would like to see there."

Mr Carroll said the community's feedback will inform a large part of the working group's findings, and will help to build a more responsive management plan.

"This will allow us to make improvements and increase safety at the reserve, address some recent issues around camping, and work with community groups to boost the overall visitor experience."

Reid's Farm has been closed to campers until October 1 this year for site maintenance. This is consistent with the current reserve management plan that states Reid's Farm should be closed to campers from May 1 to September 30 each year. Prior to the Rugby World Cup in 2011, council resolved to allow camping through the winter for the tournament, but never reverted back to the old guidelines after the event. Visitors are still permitted to visit the site during the day.

The Reid's Farm survey is available to be completed on the Taupō District Council website until Friday, 19 August 2016. More information about the review process is available by contacting reidsfarm@taupo.govt.nz.