Getting Waikato going: major revamp pitched for Hamilton Zoo, Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park

Wednesday, 29 April 2020

An artist's impression of a proposed viewing tower at the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park.

An ambitious plan has been hatched to transform Hamilton Zoo and the neighbouring Waiwhakareke sanctuary into a must-see eco destination.

Waikato has pitched a suite of shovel-ready projects to the Government in a bid to stimulate the regional economy in the wake of coronavirus.

Included on the region's wishlist is a $24.8 million project aimed at enhancing visitors' experience at Hamilton Zoo and the adjacent Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park.

A key feature of the proposal is a new shared entrance to the zoo and park on Brymer Road.

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As part of the enhancements, a cafe and public toilets will be built outside the zoo. Improved parking facilities and the construction of an education and function centre are also planned.

If given the funding green-light, the project is expected to take two to three years to complete and create 250-300 jobs a year.

The final stage of the project involves an upgrade of Brymer Road.

A new shared entrance precinct is proposed for Hamilton Zoo and the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park.

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said the project will help Hamilton Zoo reach its full potential.

'Hamilton Zoo performs well as a domestic attraction but it could be so much more,' Southgate said.

'I particularly like the fact the cafe will be accessible to people … going for a walk, or people who have come to see Lake Waiwhakareke. You don't have to be going to the zoo to enjoy that experience.

'The new cafe and proposed educational facility will also bring money in which is great for the council because then it starts to pay its way.'

New viewing platforms and walkways are planned for the neighbouring heritage park.

Restoration ecologist Professor Bruce Clarkson has helped lead the development of the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park since its inception in 2004 (file photo).

A proposed viewing tower is tipped to become an attraction in itself, Southgate said.

'People are going to come and climb up the tower just to see what they can see.'

Waiwhakareke Advisory Group chairman Professor Bruce Clarkson said the enhancements at Waiwhakareke and its integration with the zoo will, in time, create a visitor destination to rival Hamilton Gardens.

The city's acclaimed public gardens attract about 1.1 million visitors a year.

Restrictions to overseas travel brought in to contain Covid-19 will see more New Zealanders opt to explore their own backyard, Clarkson said.

'Through building these facilities at Waiwhakareke and the zoo, it adds to the city's tourism portfolio,' he said.

'You can have an experience where, on one side of the road, you can see overseas ecosystems, the Savannah environment with the appropriate animals roaming around. But across the road, to the east, you'll be able to go and see New Zealand as it was prior to human arrival.'

Waiwhakareke is the most significant indigenous biodiversity patch in Hamilton, with 35 hectares of the 65ha-park replanted with native species.

A predator-proof fence is planned for Waiwhakareke which will allow for threatened native birds to be introduced to the site, such as kiwi and takahē.

Jason Dawson, chief executive of Hamilton & Waikato Tourism, said developing a shared entrance for the zoo and heritage park will be a 'game changer' for both sites.

The current visitor arrival experience is fragmented, poorly designed and can't effectively manage large visitor numbers during peak times.

The concept of shared infrastructure between the two venues makes it a more cost-effective solution, Dawson said.