Resource consents have been granted to allow Clyde Dam operator Contact Energy to take the next steps in a plan to reshape the lakefront alongside Cromwell’s heritage precinct.

Contact’s head of hydro generation Boyd Brinsdon confirmed resource approval had been received for native planting, a 320-metre boardwalk, an upgraded jetty and a flat-grassed area near the jetty.

“Final designs will be shared early next year, with construction starting in the middle of 2026,” he said.

“Building is expected to take about four months, with landscaping to follow.”

Boyd described the work as a means of “revitalising the Kawarau Arm waterfront at Lake Dunstan”. 

“This follows valuable community input two years ago, to shape and prioritise the design,” he said.

The project is Contact Energy’s response to long-standing issues caused by heavy silt accumulation in this section of the lake. 

In recent years, beaches and boat ramps have become increasingly unusable as sediment carried down the Kawarau River - estimated by Contact Energy at approximately 1M cubic metres annually - has built up along the lake edge. 

The new design plan signals a shift away from ongoing silt removal to supporting the lake edge’s gradual transition. 

As part of the work, the jetty will be rebuilt, widened to three metres and extended to reach deeper water.

“The jetty extension length is to be confirmed but will extend approximately five metres further than the current one,” Boyd said.

The flat, grassy area adjacent to the jetty will also be extended - 870 square metres in one section and 510 square metres in another - beyond the existing stone wall, reclaiming part of the lake.

Cultural elements, plantings, and a nohoaka area are being developed in partnership with mana whenua-owned consultants Aukaha and Hokonui Rūnanga.

Nohoaka - literally meaning a "place to sit" - traditionally refer to seasonal camps used by Māori for gathering resources such as fish, birds, and plants.

A trial planting area is set to be established at the southern end of the project site, near the Butchers Drive boat ramp, to test which species can tolerate the fluctuating water levels typical of the hydro lake.

Raupō (bullrush), harakeke (flax) and carex secta (swamp sedge) will be planted.

Meanwhile, the community trust responsible for stewardships of Lake Duntan has raised concerns about driftwood accumulation in the same area following recent heavy rain events.

Lake Dustan Charitable Trust chair Duncan Faulkner said there had been a significant build up of driftwood and Contact’s consent conditions to operate the dam at Clyde require the debris to be removed.

“The trust’s expectations are that it would be removed before peak tourism season.”