Coastal Ward Councillor Celeste Donovan says a proposed members only motorhome park on vacant red zoned land in New Brighton could attract visitors, support local businesses and reduce costs for ratepayers.

The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association has applied to Christchurch City Council for a 10 year transitional lease at 60 to 80 Owles Terrace for members visiting the area in certified self contained motorhomes and caravans.

Donovan told chrislynchmedia.com the idea followed conversations from residents and others in the area who believed the land could be put to better use.

“There’s been a few conversations from residents and other people in the area who’ve suggested that it would be quite a good site for something like this,” Donovan said.

“The land itself is contaminated, so there is sort of only limited uses for it. I reached out to them because I always think, you know, good ideas that don’t lead to anything end up just being good ideas, right?

“As a local councillor, getting people to come out and stay in a site that’s managed by a third party, so the costs are not falling on ratepayers, was quite an attractive proposition.”

Donovan said the proposal could help bring more visitors into New Brighton without placing the burden on the council or local ratepayers.

“I feel like all of these things build on each other. We want to encourage people to come into the area, but we want to find a way that we can do it that doesn’t put the burden on council, local ratepayers and also local communities.”

“I think that’s where the win win comes in here.”

The full shaded area identified for the proposal is about 37,700 square metres, but NZMCA is seeking to lease only 5,000 to 10,000 square metres.

NZMCA National Manager Property and Policy James Imlach told chrislynchmedia.com the association did not yet have a detailed site development plan, with the proposal still subject to community feedback and council approval.

He said the proposed site would accommodate roughly 50 to 100 vehicles at any one time, with basic amenities likely to include rubbish bins and potable water. An onsite wastewater dump station would also be considered if feasible.

Donovan said a similar association park in Kaiapoi had demonstrated the potential benefits.

“All the feedback I’ve heard when I was doing a bit of background research to see if it was potentially a good proposal, was that it was quite positive for the community.”

“They spent about half a million dollars getting the site up to scratch, which ends up being another win win, because the site currently they’re looking at leasing is overgrown, and that’s a cost to council to maintain that and manage that.”

She said visitors staying at the proposed park would likely spend money in New Brighton. “They come in and they do the work, bring in visitation to the area, and then those people hopefully will come and enjoy all the wonderful things we have to offer in the area, like the hot pools, but we’ve also got lots of local shops and retail areas that they can wander down the road and enjoy.”

Donovan said the proposal was very different from unrestricted freedom camping because it would only be available to association members travelling in certified self contained motorhomes and caravans.

“They have a maximum number of nights they can stay, which I think is important as well, because I think some people might be concerned it turns into a long term kind of situation.”

“The sites are clean, from what I’ve seen, well maintained, and they also have to work in with the community to make sure that they maintain that social licence.”

Founded in Gisborne in 1956, NZMCA represents more than 124,000 New Zealanders, including 133 people who live in New Brighton.

The association operates 65 low cost NZMCA parks nationwide, including nearby parks in Kaiapoi, Weedons and The Willows Regional Park.

Imlach said the association first approached the council in November 2024 to explore options for using vacant red zoned land, following the success of its Kaiapoi park.

“Owles Terrace was suggested as a potential site and has also been supported by local members, who think the location is ideal for a park,” Imlach said.

“If it proceeds, we expect the park will also attract members who would otherwise bypass New Brighton, bringing additional spend into the area,” he said.

Donovan said Christchurch currently lacked this type of facility for association members travelling around the South Island. “For them that’s a fantastic option for their members, because they’ll be coming into the South Island, travelling around the country, and going, where can we visit in the Christchurch district? And now they’ll be heading straight out to New Brighton, which is fantastic.”

“They’ll be heading into the local laundromat. They’ll be looking for things to do because if you’re on a holiday around the country, you’re going to a destination because you want to enjoy what it’s got to offer.”

“You’ll be heading down to the hot pools, you’ll be taking the trails in the area, and you’ll be shopping locally hopefully at the supermarket, or the dairy.” Potential access options include using one of the existing entrances opposite 81 Owles Terrace or Hardy Street, or creating a new vehicle crossing along the eastern boundary between 77 and 103 Union Street.

The site is expected to be low key, with a mix of hardstand and grassed parking areas, controlled vehicle access through a gated entry for authorised users only, appropriate signage and a small information kiosk. Imlach said traffic patterns at other NZMCA parks showed most arrivals and departures tended to happen outside peak traffic periods, typically late morning and early afternoon.

If there is support in principle, the next step would be to work with the council to confirm the lease area and terms of agreement.

A more detailed site plan would then be developed, with support sought from the community board and elected members. If a resource consent is required, that process would follow.

Donovan said the association was already seeking feedback from key groups. “The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association has reached out to some of the other key groups just to get some feedback.”

“Obviously, the local residents, the business association and the campground, getting feedback from those people, but also the wider community is important too.”

Imlach said the association would optimistically like the park open by summer 2026 or 2027, but a more realistic timeframe was likely to be late 2027 if resource consent was needed.

Residents have been invited to provide feedback to Christchurch City Council by 5pm on Wednesday 15 July 2026.