We're improving Naval Point – Te Nukutai o Tapoa, which is a popular marine and recreation area for Lyttelton, Christchurch and wider Canterbury residents.

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As the only all-tide water access points for Christchurch, the aim is to make Naval Point a great place for people to enjoy being on, or close to, Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour and to improve the site for the many groups who are already based there.

The Naval Point-Te Nukutai o Tapoa Development Plan [PDF, 3.4 MB] is guiding the development of the area, which is being carried out in stages as funding becomes available through the Annual Plan and Long Term Plan processes. 

The plan was approved by the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula Community Board on Monday, 30 November 2020. Council also needed to give approval for the closure of Magazine Bay Marina, with this decision made on Thursday 28 January 2021.

The first phase of the Naval Point – Te Nukutai o Tapoa Development Plan has been completed. The Council is currently scoping future work focussing on further marine access and pedestrian improvements.

New shared facilities for both land and water-based sport and recreation, including a significant upgrade of the recreation ground facilities are also currently being explored.

View the full document outlining the Naval Point Development Plan [PDF, 3.4 MB]

Project background

The need for a Naval Point-Te Nukutai o Tapoa Development Plan was identified through the Lyttelton Master Plan 2012 and again in the Lyttelton Port Recovery Plan 2015, although there have been calls from the community for the site to be developed for many years prior.

After a lot of discussion with key stakeholders and users of the site, two development options were consulted on in July 2019(external link) – with one clearly preferred by the community based on submissions received.

The preferred option (Option 2), which proposed Council acquire a 1.3-hectare piece of land to give the site better configuration for development, has been refined and is the basis for the Naval Point Development Plan [PDF, 2.8 MB].

Who we talked to

Naval Point-Te Nukutai o Tapoa and Magazine Bay is the home to many recreational groups who lease Council land including Naval Point Club Lyttelton, Coastguard Canterbury, Lyttelton Sea Scouts, Canterbury Windsports Association, a number of waka ama groups, rugby and football clubs associated with the Lyttelton recreation grounds as well as a number of formal and informal marine recreational and other community-based organisations.

The site is also significant to Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, mana whenua for the area.

We have spoken to all of the groups and taken into consideration the feedback they have given, as well as the submissions received through public consultation in 2017(external link) and 2019(external link).

Check out the latest updates on the development of Naval Point, which are distributed as electronic newsletters.

Works started at Naval Point - Te Nukutai o Tapoa in mid-2021 and included sealing part of the car park, completing stormwater drainage works, upgrading utilities, and installing floating pontoons near the public ramp. 

A waterfront walkway was also completed, alongside an artwork developed by Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki. 

These works were finished ahead of the first SailGP event in March 2023.

Naval Point - Te Nukutai o Tapoa, December 2022

SailGP(external link) is bringing its brand of adrenaline-filled racing to Christchurch’s Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour for two events in 2023 and 2025.

Together, the two events are estimated to have a total gross economic benefit of $20.6 million NZD and bring more than 11,500 visitors to Christchurch.

On top of these benefits is the value of the global broadcast audience of 40 million people seeing Christchurch in a new way.

Naval Point – Te Nukutai o Tapoa will be used as a base for the event.