Boat house project - have your say

We have resource consent to build a platform where the boat building shed used to be and relocate the original Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Association club building (which was later the Lyttelton Sea Scouts den for several decades) from Lyttelton, and renovate it for community use. For more information, see the Boat House page.

Once we have funding, we will commission detailed design and apply for building consent.

We want to hear from you before we decide on the detailed design - we don’t want to “design out” something because we didn’t think of it. We are using comments for people to share their thoughts, so that it’s an open discussion between everyone who is interested. Click on the link to give your feedback (in the comments section) or find out more:

Workshop outcomes

Click on the title above to comment on the workshop outcomes.

Governors Bay Jetty Restoration held two in-person workshops at Governors Bay Community Centre:

  • 23 April - 7 participants

  • 28 May - 3 participants

Ideas

Artists and Crafts 

  • Retail space for sale of arts & crafts 

  • Exhibitions of pottery, paintings and crafts 

  • Bigger pottery space 

  • Artist in residence programme 

  • Library / reading room / museum 

  • Craft and coop shop (like Stoddart cottage) 

 Water based education 

  • Marine ecology projects - think MERC (Auckland) 

  • Water-sports education centre - paddle-board rentals 

  • Scout den (community group space)

  • Education uses 

  • Sailing base for people to learn to sail 

  • School /Uni /Tech - commerical space for training 

  • Garden Club 

  • Coaching for kayaking and paddle boarding

  • Education - schools, marine environment

  • Water sports facilities, such as shower, washdown area 

A place to sit and relax 

  • Dry space available for people recreating in the area e.g. caught in the rain whilst walking 

  • Day lodge 

  • Outdoor seating 

  • Public seating 

  • Bird watching

  • Place for people to rest when they are doing the Head-to-Head walkway

 History, Information, and Art Display 

  • Marine history themed to emphasise its uniqueness 

  • Display space (art, etc.) 

  • History boards 

 Food 

  • Cafe / bar 

  • Takeaway coffee and ice creams 

  • Option to prepare and sell seafood commercially 

  • Space for ice cream, coffee, or food truck at the weekends 

Functions and Selling stuff 

  • Events such as weddings, anniversaries, and memorials 

  • Meetings for locals 

  • Tiny bookshop

  • Theatre or dance entertainment space 

  • Available for private functions and community groups 

  • Stalls to fundraise - produce crafts 

  • Fundraising, e.g. afternoon teas / wine & cheese 

  • Income generating space for hire, e.g. small weddings available as "plan B" if weather bad for jetty weddings 

  • Workshop and training space 

  • Hub and meeting place for walking tours of the area (the Rod Donald Trust walks in this area are very popular)

  • Monthly workshop on a theme, such as local birdlife, the harbour

  • Retail, probably only the weekends

Storage and boating stuff 

  • Water ramp access - slope (pedestrian safe)

  • Cleaning station 

  • Storage for safety equipment (life rings, etc)

  • Secure storage for paddle boards and kayaks 

  • Rental storage spaces for kayaks and paddle boards 

  • Ramp into the water

  • Commercial - Recreational non-powered water craft - storage / access 

  • Storage of basic water rescue craft, etc.

Possible challenges

Limitations and conflict 

  • User conflict - display place and time of use 

  • Space allocation and multiple users 

  • Limit on size

  • Over-selling the function space 

  • Storage space at a premium 

  • Impact of users on the wider community 

  • Disagreement over best use 

  • Lack of use - apathy 

 Admin legal and regulations 

  • Resources - maintaining and management, general wear and tear of building and facilities, cleaning 

  • Admin - meeting regulations, adventure activities, bookings 

  • Insurance and liability

  • Scope of the resource consent 

  • Health and safety (who is responsible?)

  • Licensing / venue use by water 

 Security 

  • Vandalism 

  • Theft

  • Damage

  • Graffiti  

·Ongoing operation and funding 

  • Maintenance cost

  • Funding 

  • Cost to build 

  • Volunteer helpers 

  • Staffing

 Traffic 

  • Traffic congestion

  • Car parking (very limited)

  • Mobility parking

  • Loading area

  • Difficulty turning around

What a great day at the jetty/boat house looks like

  • Not having any physical activity 

  • Having good water access from the boat house itself – so you don’t have to walk along the jetty to get the boat into the water 

  • Sit and having something to eat and drink and watch kids in the dingy on the water 

  • Picnic, kids on bike, walks to Allendale and sitting on jetty or in the boat house if it’s cold 

  • Hang out in the sunshine, look at crabs, then go for a pint – that’s a good day out 

  • Meeting an artist and seeing their work