The Ashburton Aquatic Park Society Incorporated – the group set up in the late 1980s to support the development of Lake Hood – has wound up.
Remaining funds totalling $8000 and a jet ski had been transferred to the Ashburton Aquatic Park Charitable Trust, the park’s governing body, set up to manage user groups and act as a liaison.
Lake Hood, officially opened in 2002 and now owned by the Ashburton District Council, is a man-made lake initially funded with the backing of society members.
In 1990, their funds helped the society with its initial $125,000 purchase of a 200 hectare farm at the site.
The cost of the $4.5 million project, turned farm land and its development over subsequent years, into a community asset.
Society chair Bryan Donaldson said the society was officially wound up on August 27, as it had fulfilled its role.
A final hurrah is planned for past members and people associated with the lake’s early days.
It will be at the Lake House restaurant on Wednesday next week from 7pm. Donaldson said people who had been involved with the society over the years were welcome.
The society, which in recent years had dwindled to about 40 members, was about 700-strong at its peak.
Those involved had donated $100 as a start-up fund per person, then paid $20 per year following for membership.
Trust trustee David West said it was amazing people had got involved with it at the time. Many of whom did not get any recognition for their support. It had a community focus, he said.
West said he would like to see the lake’s development, now valued at more than $100m, be enhanced and get more recognition for how good it is for the community.
The lake and its aquatic park spans more than 100ha about 15-minutes from Ashburton township.
It accommodates sailing, fishing and swimming as well as water-skiing and jet-skiing areas and an eight-lane international rowing course.
Off the water, there are biking and walking trails, green areas for picnics as well as a nine-hole golf course, paintball course, and a restaurant and bar.
In 2023, a water quality taskforce group was set up in 2023 to improve water quality at the lake. It involves representatives from Ashburton Aquatic Park Charitable Trust, the Huntingdon Park Property Owners Association and the district council.
