Omakau Campground Lease - Expression of Interest

Omakau Campground Lease – Expression of Interest

The Omakau Campground on Alton Street, Omakau is owned and operated by the Central Otago District Council.

The Council is considering options of how this camp could operate, and currently seeking expressions of interest. CODC is open to considering different options including but not limited to leasing.

Central Otago District Council will enter into lease negotiations with the preferred party after Expressions of Interest applications have been evaluated. Council is considering a ten-year lease with rights of renewal, but this would be confirmed during lease negotiations. Responsibilities for the operation, costs and maintenance of various facilities and grounds within the campground area are outlined in Schedule A.

The campground accounts for the previous three years are provided in Schedule B.

Background

Central Otago is considered one of the major camping destinations in the South Island.

Omakau Camping Ground is sited in a corner of the large 71-hectare Omakau Recreation

Reserve located on State Highway 85 in the small Central Otago township of Omakau, 26km northeast of Alexandra.

The highway is a popular scenic route for visitors seeking to experience the unique Central Otago scenery and rich heritage.

Alternatively, the area can be traversed by bicycle using the Otago Central Rail Trail, the initial trail-blazing Great Ride for New Zealand. The Trail passes through Omakau, at a distance of 300m to the camping ground, making it a logical first overnight stop for cyclists travelling north, as it lies 37km from the trail’s starting point at Clyde.

Recreation and Tourism Offering

Campers who stay at the Omakau Camping Ground have access to a wide range of activities both within the township and throughout the surrounding area, including:

• walking
• cycling
• swimming in either the Manuherikia River or the historic Ophir Pool
• exploring historic places such as at Ophir, Matakanui and the Hayes Engineering Workshop
• golf at the Omakau Golf Course
• trout fishing in local rivers and dams
• tennis and squash

Omakau Recreation Reserve

The Omakau Recreation Reserve caters to a number of recreational activities and other uses and is the main reserve for the residents of Omakau, Ophir and the surrounding rural area. Other than the camping ground, the reserve also contains:

• playground
• half-sized hockey turf also used for tennis
• Squash Club building
• rugby field and clubrooms
• cricket field
• golf course
• Omakau Rural Fire Station

Camping provision includes: 54 powered sites, 9 basic cabins and space for tents.

A major development has begun on the reserve with the construction of the Manuherekia Valley Community Hub and is due to be completed late 2026.

The Hub is set to replace the existing rugby clubrooms and will include a 200-seat hall, meeting room, commercial kitchen, bar, gym, changing rooms and a stage for school productions. Several community organisations and sporting clubs will be able to base themselves at the Hub in the future. Once the building is completed it is expected that an area for car parking will be established alongside other landscaping work.

Kitchen and dining facilities are currently situated at the northern end of the rugby clubrooms, which also house laundry facilities used for storing and laundering cabin linen.

Once the new community hub is completed, the Council plans to demolish the existing rugby clubrooms building including the camp kitchen and build a new camping ground kitchen, laundry and storage facility adjacent to the existing camp ablution block.

The playground is set amongst the powered sites within the Camping Ground. This is proposed to be relocated to the rear of the current rugby club rooms once they have been demolished.

The camping ground appeals to three key visitor markets:

• travellers exploring away from the main tourist routes;
• Otago Central Rail Trail cyclists and other recreational users (such as anglers and 4WD enthusiasts) seeking low-cost accommodation; and traditional Kiwi holidaymakers who typically stay for one to two weeks, primarily during January and Easter.
• Companies undertaking temporary work in the area also utilise the cabins and powered sites throughout the year.

The camping ground is attractively set within a quiet rural township, with shops, a tavern, and cafés all within easy walking or cycling distance. While options for re-provisioning or dining out are more limited than in larger centres, campers are generally self-sufficient, and Alexandra is only a 20-minute drive away.

The kitchen and common room are well equipped, and the toilet and shower facilities are clean, well presented, and appealing to use. A playground, courts, and sports field further enhance the appeal of the site. For some visitors, being located within a key community space also provides opportunities to engage with local residents, adding to the overall camping experience.

What the Council is looking for:

Central Otago District Council is looking for a campground operator with the following attributes and to provide the following services:

• Can manage a clean, functional, safe, secure and tidy campground – both facilities and grounds
• Provides a welcoming environment for all campers with a smooth, efficient check-in and checkout procedure
• Attendance to general and reasonable needs of campers
• Will provide proactive marketing of the campground including a website - with the intention to increase occupancy
• Can set up and run an effective online booking system
• Prepared to invest in the campground to improve facilities to support growth in use
• Is able to respond to concerns and complaints from campers in a helpful and timely manner
• Recycling facilities are provided in the campground and disposed of in the correct manner
• Can meet requirements of Health and Safety for operation of the campground including contractor visits for any maintenance or development work
• Providing a vision for the campground including identifying possible new assets and assets/buildings to be renewed or replaced.
• An experienced operator who can grow the camp and business successfully.

Evaluation for Successful Campground Lessee

Interested parties are asked to provide information and will be evaluated on the following:

• Experience in managing campgrounds or a tourist business
• Track record with growing a business including marketing
• Keeping accurate records/accounts
• Ideas for marketing the campground
• An affinity for working with visitors on holiday
• Providing a vision for the campground including identifying possible new assets and assets/buildings to be renewed or replaced
• An annual fixed rental payment offer that would be reviewed periodically such as 3 yearly.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Experience in managing campgrounds/tourist facilities 20%
• Track record in managing other tourist facilities 20%
• Vision and investment plan for the campground 20%
• Marketing plan for the campground 20%
• Rental offer to Council 20%

How to Register Your Interest: Register your interest electronically with

Judith.whyte@codc.govt.nz

Interested parties should prepare their proposal to cover the aspects raised above in the evaluation section. Your submission should be sent to Judith.whyte@codc.govt.nz

to be received prior to 5pm Monday 20 July 2026.

During the process you may ask questions which should be in writing and addressed electronically to Judith.whyte@codc.govt.nz

Any questions asked together with responses will be shared with all parties who have registered an interest in the process.

An opportunity to undertake an inspection of the campground will be provided.

Our Process

When the registration of interest process closes, we will:

• Acknowledge all proposals received
• Undertake an evaluation of the proposals
• Select one or more party to be interviewed to discuss their proposal
• Undertake a final evaluation and advise the successful party who will then be invited to negotiate a lease arrangement
• Advise unsuccessful parties of the outcome

Schedule A: Area of Responsibilities

Central Otago District Council

• Maintenance of access roads within campground
• Maintenance of underground services
• Maintenance of Kitchen block attached to clubrooms – Note potential new kitchen to be developed once new Hub facility is completed.
• Maintenance of sports field, includes irrigation system

Campground Lessee

• Maintenance of above ground power supply and boxes
• Maintenance of above ground water supply and fixtures
• Maintenance of grounds, specifically: trees, hedges, windbreak, within camp site area.
• gardens and grass areas within camp area
• Cleaning of the kitchen, toilet and shower block
• Establish and run an online booking system
• Maintain a website to promote the campground
• Set the campground fees subject to Council approval
• Costs for water, power, rates, gas, rubbish collection, Wi-Fi, and security cameras

Note: The above only includes items which needed clarification for the purposes of a lease agreement and all other actions to maintain and operate a campground will be undertaken by the lessee.

The Rugby clubrooms will not form part of this agreement.

Schedule B: The campground accounts for the previous three years